


The Head Omega

by littlekittykanny



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien will be gay in this, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Bruce will be a decent dad in this, Gabriel is even more of a dickhead than in canon, Gaydrien is here, He's gonna do his best, Marinette is a badass and will continue to be a badass, Multi, Soulmates, Sunshine boy Adrien, a/b/o fic, changing up the dynamics a little bit here, mentions of abuse, might get graphic later and I'll let you know if that occurs, will add more tags as needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-29 08:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 38,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21407104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlekittykanny/pseuds/littlekittykanny
Summary: It had been less than twenty-four hours since Marinette had kidnapped Adrien. It had been less than twenty-four hours since Adrien made the decision to let Marinette kidnap him. Less than twenty-four hours ago, he’d been locked away in his room and left to rot there. Less than twenty-four hours ago, his only reliable guardian had smuggled him out of the house and into Marinette’s care. It had been less than twenty-four hours that the pair had taken every bit of money they could and boarded a flight to the United States.Marinette had reassured him several times that she had a plan, and Adrien trusted her, but he couldn’t get rid of the fear gnawing at his stomach. Gorilla- Laurent- would surely get in trouble for his disappearance. The man had always been so kind to him...Adrien didn’t want him to be hurt because of him. His father surely wouldn’t give him up without a fight...even if he didn’t want his son out in public. He was the face of Gabriel Designs. He was his father’s top model.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Jonathan Kent, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Comments: 429
Kudos: 2443





	1. So We Run

“It’s so easy to tell that he loves you.”   
  
“He doesn’t love me. It’s more like a partnership. A friendship. We protect each other.”

An elderly woman smiled brightly as she looked at the two young adults sitting across the aisle from her. The brown haired man was staring at the dark haired woman like she’d hung the stars and the moon. His green eyes never drifted far from her, and he was constantly reaching out for her hand. It was clear to her that the two (or at least the young man) were madly in love. However, she hadn’t said anything to the young woman until the man had left to use the restroom. If they weren't already together, she didn't want to embarrass the young man. Besides, omega matters were always to be discussed with other omegas, no matter what the kids today said. There were just some things you didn't talk about when alphas were around-but she digressed, returning her focus to the young potential couple.

Ah, to be young again. The woman remembered being like that- having her dear husband (rest his soul) moon over her while she was completely oblivious. It had taken her friends pointing it out for her to realize her husband wished to court and bond with her. She was so thankful that they had for she'd had over fifty years of bonded bliss before her beloved passed. It was obvious by the dark haired woman’s reaction that she didn’t realize what her green eyed companion felt for her. Or at least the old woman hoped she just didn't realize it. If the young omega knew, then she was being quite rude to the young alpha by not just telling him she wasn't interested. And so, the elderly lady tried several times to hint to the young woman that he was interested, telling the lady all about her late Alpha. She hoped that she could help this young couple on their journey in love and bond-mates. 

What the woman didn’t know was that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was 100% certain that Adrien Agreste felt nothing for her but phillial love. She was also very certain that the woman had no idea it was Adrien Agreste traveling with her. They had cut and dyed his hair brown and using some contour tricks, managed to disguise his face a little bit. The real reason Adrien couldn’t take his eyes off of her was that he was severely anxious.

It had been less than twenty-four hours since Marinette had kidnapped Adrien. It had been less than twenty-four hours since Adrien made the decision to  **let** Marinette kidnap him. Less than twenty-four hours ago, he’d been locked away in his room and left to rot there. Less than twenty-four hours ago, his only reliable guardian had smuggled him out of the house and  **into ** Marinette’s care. It had been less than twenty-four hours that the pair had taken every bit of money they could and boarded a flight to the United States.

Marinette had reassured him several times that she had a plan, and Adrien trusted her, but he couldn’t get rid of the fear gnawing at his stomach. Gorilla- Laurent- would surely get in trouble for his disappearance. The man had always been so kind to him...Adrien didn’t want him to be hurt because of him. His father surely wouldn’t give him up without a fight...even if he didn’t want his son out in public. He was the face of Gabriel Designs. He was his father’s top model.

Regardless of his  **status** .

His anxiety wouldn’t go away despite Marinette’s constant reassurance, so Adrien kept a close eye on his traveling partner, only feeling comfortable enough to use the bathroom once they were up in the air. She wasn't surprised that the elderly woman had chosen then to start talking to her. Many of the people they'd encountered so far had thought that her and Adrien were a young potential bond pair as well. Marinette hadn’t said anything, nor had she corrected people’s assumptions of them.The less people questioned them, the safer the pair would be. As of right then, they looked like a normal pair of young individuals going on a trip to see family- potentially to get their blessings to bond to one another. The little old lady across the aisle had eaten up the explanation readily, leaving Marinette relieved.

While it was true that Marinette had a plan for getting Adrien out of Paris, there was still a window for error. Thankfully, Laurent and Agent A had been more than willing to help make her plan work. Laurent had provided her the information about when Gabriel and Nathalie would be busiest and had disabled the security cameras for her. He'd also helped Marinette smuggle out things that were important to Adrien, personal items that he'd want to take with him. Agent A had provided the transportation out of Paris as well as a place to live once they'd left France, so Marinette didn't have to worry about trying to help Adrien disguise himself and get plane tickets. She’d broken into Adrien's room using the fox miraculous, introducing herself to Adrien as Huli Jing, knowing the magic would stop any cameras from revealing her identity. For now, it simply looked like Adrien had fled his home with a mysterious fox’s assistance. Once they were a safe distance away, Marinette had told Adrien to transform into Chat Noir.

At first he’d been shocked, but Marinette explained how she was able to put the pieces together and told him that for now, he’d be safer as Chat then he would Adrien. Marinette had then changed back into her civilian self and asked Chat to take her home. She had then explained that Gabriel would be looking for a fox and Adrien later, not Marinette and Chat. Once they returned to her balcony, Adrien had been surprised to see a small bag filled with his valuables in Marinette’s room.

“Your bodyguard, Laurent, brought them here. I...I asked for his help, Kitty. I had to get you out of there, and he was willing to help me,” she’d told him in a quiet voice. “We’re going to have to dye your hair and try and work some makeup magic, but I think we’ll be able to do this.”

“Mari...are you-”

“I’ve got a place for us to go, Adrien, and I’ve talked it over with Kaalki. We need to get you somewhere safe, and that’s not in Paris,” she sighed. “We’ll use a portal to go back and forth between here and our destination if Hawkmoth releases any akumas.”

“But what about you-”

“I already had plans to go and spend the year with my great uncle Alfred, especially now that my grandpere and him are back on speaking terms. My absence won’t be suspicious as it’s been well noted and the plans have been in motion for months.”

Adrien had been a mess ever since. He’d allowed Marinette to help him with his disguise, but was constantly checking over his shoulder. To be honest, so had Marinette. She too, only felt slightly relieved because they were on route to America. They’d left Paris and Parisian air space. They were too far out to go back to France. The only thing that could go wrong now would be if Laurent spilled his guts, and Gabriel had somehow managed to find out what exact plane they’d taken and ordered it to return home. 

Thankfully, it seemed like everything was holding up so far. Laurent had vanished as planned, Agent A providing him an escape route. More than likely, neither Gabriel nor Nathalie would notice for at least the rest of the day. Adrien had been scheduled to have a free day at home while both of them prepared for an upcoming event. Agent A had let her know that he’d be there to grab her as soon as they landed, much to her relief. She knew neither of them would feel safe until they were in their soon to be new home. Marinette smiled quietly to herself as she pretended to listen to the woman cooing over how sweet her Alpha was on her.

The only saving grace in Marinette’s eyes was that the woman had ceased when Adrien returned, even if he still looked uncomfortable. Marinette nuzzled his shoulder before whispering, “I’m sorry. You’ll be able to remove it soon, I promise.”

Adrien gave her a pain-filled smile before resting his head against hers, mumbling about how he wanted to sleep now. The pair clutched each other’s hand tightly, trying to drown out the voices around them. Marinette began to sing a soft Chinese lullaby, one that her mother had sung to her so many times as a child. Adrien lightly teased that Marinette had NO idea what the lullaby meant, but Marinette hushed him and continued singing anyway. She knew how much he needed to rest.

As Adrien drifted off against her shoulder, Marinette gazed around the plane cautiously. She watched for the slightest movement or note of suspicion. She had to get Adrien out of there. She had to protect him. 

After all, what else could the Head Omega do?


	2. Tim Knows, But Telling's No Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim sipped his coffee quietly, looking up at the clock. He couldn’t wait for Alfred to return with the pair. In about six hours, the house would descend into chaos.
> 
> And quite frankly, Tim couldn’t wait.

Tim was the first person to suss out exactly what was going on with Alfred. He was the first to realize Alfred had been getting more mail recently as well as noticing the butler talking more privately with Bruce. Normally, Alfred didn’t care if the boys overheard his conversations with Bruce. However, Alfred had been taking more precautions to avoid anyone eavesdropping in on his discussions as of late. His unusual secretiveness had made Tim suspicious something was up with Alfred

Bruce preparing another room like Tim’s own was the biggest tip off, and one neither man could hide from him. There was another omega coming to the manor, and they had something to do with Alfred. Tim knew they weren’t family or at least blood family. Last he’d checked, Alfred didn’t have any blood relatives living in the U.S. let alone Gotham. Tim didn’t think they were friends of Alfred’s either due to the room prep. Omegas Alfred’s age wouldn’t be having heats...perhaps the child of an old friend? An old friend's grandchild? Perhaps Alfred had lost relatives that no one knew about?

Tim hadn’t been able to get anything from Alfred, frustratingly enough. Alfred had kept his correspondence purely in written form, meaning Tim would have to go through Alfred’s room to get his hands on the letters Alfred had received, which was a no-go. No one went in Alfred’s room-EVER. It was like, against the laws of nature or something! Not only would Alfred be upset with him, but Bruce and his brothers would be downright **livid.** And no one ever got the mail before Alfred did. Tim had attempted it several times, but had yet to succeed. He wasn't entirely sure how Alfred knew just when the mailman was coming, but he did and Tim was rightfully afraid of his accuracy. 

Thankfully, Bruce was very much into using tech, so Tim had managed to glean some information from his adopted father. As it turned out, two Parisian teenagers were coming to stay with them- Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste. There was no determined schedule on how long both would stay- it seemed as if Adrien had been thrown in at the last minute. Bruce's former notes had stated that the previous plan was to have Marinette stay and attend school with Damian until she completed high school. Tim was positive Damian would be just _thrilled_ when he heard about that plan, but he had no time to be distracted by that and kept digging.

According to Bruce’s background check, Marinette’s grandfather had met Alfred during The Before time (as in before he worked for the Waynes). The two had been good friends until a falling out occurred, one that had only recently been mended. It appeared that Marinette’s grandmother had still been talking to Alfred frequently, which Tim found interesting, as well as discovering Marinette’s father was actually Alfred’s godson. Bruce had made a note that Marinette was being bullied and ostracized in her current class which was the reason Alfred agreed to take Marinette in for her high school education. Tim continued to dig deeper, wondering just what could have happened to have two parents send their daughter to another continent rather than just another school. 

What Tim found was rather puzzling to him. Marinette herself seemed average. She had good grades despite her attendance being a bit spotty. She didn’t have any criminal history, and Tim could find nothing from her teachers that would suggest that Marinette was a troublemaker. In fact, her homeroom teacher had only positive things to say about the omega. Apparently she was very kind and compassionate and had been invaluable to the other omegas in her class, becoming a Head Omega. Tim found this quite impressive, and rather disturbing.

Omegas, especially unmated ones, would often form small social groups after hitting their first heats as a support system of sorts. They would help each other deal with the changes that came with presenting as an omega as well as to look out for one another. The Head Omega was generally an excellent leader and extremely protective of the omegas under their watch. The Head Omega was the one that the other omegas came to for advice and support. The Head Omega was key to these small pseudo-packs as much as the Head Alpha was to a pack. The role of the Head Omega had long standing history as being extremely important to the social order of the small groups.

There had been a long-standing idea that omegas were inferior to their counterparts. If an alpha wanted to lay claim to an omega, no one else but another alpha could stop them. Omegas often lived short and violent lives, but upon the creation of these first social packs things had begun to change. The omegas began to fight back and prove that together no one could stop them, not even a pack of alphas. The Head Omegas were the ones at the forefront of it all, fighting to have equal representation and to be treated as equals. These social groups had become extremely important in stopping forced bonding, which was severely detrimental to an omega's health. Thankfully nowadays, less people saw omegas in this light and laws had been implemented, but there were still some who thought of them that way. 

As the Head Omega, Marinette would have protected anyone in her group from any one like that. Marinette also would have been the one to represent her group and advocate for their protection...which made Tim wonder just who could have ostracized her from her group. Those bonds were extremely strong and not just anything would cause a rift between them. Bonds between the Head Omega and their group were just as important and sacred as pack bonds. Anyone who desecrated that bond would have been dealt with harshly...

There wasn’t much on the Agreste kid, but Tim would bet that he was the reason Marinette had lost her standing with her former group. Otherwise, why would he have been added last minute to Marinette's trip? He wasn't her mate, so it didn't make sense for him to come along with her. It did make a lot of sense however, when you factored in the bullying. If he had something to do with it, perhaps he had been sent away for his own safety as well? And being a beta, the omegas in her group may have felt betrayed if Marinette was offering him the same protection as she did her omegas. Tim was almost positive that Agreste was the reason behind everything.

Adrien Agreste was the only son of Alpha and fashion mogul, Gabriel Agreste. He was reported as a beta, and hadn’t been attending public school for long. His mother had disappeared mysteriously a few years ago, and there were no leads. He was in Marinette’s class, and they appeared to be friendly. There wasn’t much else Bruce could dig up on the boy. Apparently, Gabriel and his late wife, Emilie, had done well keeping him out of the public eye. The only detail of interest to Tim was that Adrien would be staying with them under a false identity, Aiden Pennyworth, a distant relative to their own Alfred Pennyworth. 

While being a little irritated, Tim could see why Alfred and Bruce hadn’t told them yet. Being the only omega in the house, Tim would probably be the only one not at all worried about the addition of another omega or really care about the beta. Tim knew their gender weren’t fragile and defenseless and knew what it took to become a Head Omega. Marinette wouldn’t have any problem defending herself against his brothers, and Tim welcomed the chaos that would ensue once Jason tried to test her himself. Adrien would more than likely just stay out of everyone's way, perhaps bond with Alfred over their shared secondary gender. 

Tim knew Damian wouldn’t be pleased at all. If they were going to the same school, Bruce and Alfred would probably ask him to watch after her. While Damian had gotten better about giving Tim shit for being an omega, old habits die hard, and Ra’s had not taught Damian that omegas were capable of being strong and independent. He’d let the tiny omega follow him around, but the odds were that he’d bitch about it the entire time. Being that he was also a young alpha, Damian would also probably be a goddamn nightmare of over-protectiveness that no one wanted to deal with just yet. He'd also be irritated about the beta taking up extra space in the house, at least he would until Bruce told them the real reason why he was coming.

Jason would test the omega, but he was more likely than Damian to accept her more readily. The issue with Jason would be to get him to NOT try and murder anyone who looked at her the wrong way. Jason’s protective instincts were the strongest and fiercest out of the family, due to his time on the streets. He had nearly bent over backwards trying to apologize to Tim when Jason realized his replacement was an omega. Tim had used that against him for a while, but now they were okay with one another. Jason would probably be annoyingly overprotective of the new omega in the home. Like Damian, odds were Jason would ignore the beta unless he did something to piss him off. 

Dick would be a little less of a nightmare than the others. He had learned to ease off on the over-protectiveness with Tim (not that Dick wasn’t overprotective but at least he let Tim work goddamnit), so he wouldn’t be following Marinette as closely as Jason or Damian might. There wasn’t a doubt in Tim’s mind that he’d immediately make it known that Marinette and Adrien were marked as part of the Wayne pack as well. He would also be the most likely to accept Adrien without issue. Dick had a little more faith in Bruce than the rest of them and wouldn’t make too much of a fuss about a beta hiding in their home. 

Tim sipped his coffee quietly, looking up at the clock. He couldn’t wait for Alfred to return with the pair. In about six hours, the house would descend into chaos.

And quite frankly, Tim couldn’t wait.


	3. And So Alfred Meets Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred thinks some things over while waiting to fetch Marinette and Adrien from the airport.

Alfred hadn’t been this nervous in some time.

When Rolland and Gina had contacted him, Alfred was quite surprised. It had been some time since he’d heard from Rolland. The man had had a falling out with his son, Tom, and Alfred had tried to assist in mending the rift. Rolland had become infuriated that Alfred was interfering with his family and stopped talking to him shortly afterward. Gina had continued to talk to him through the years, keeping him in the loop about Tom’s marriage and about her precious little granddaughter.

Alfred had been delighted that Rolland had finally made up with his family and was now trying to mend fences with him. He was equally horrified to hear part of the reason Gina wanted to get in contact with him so badly. Apparently, their son (his godson) Tom and his wife had been fighting with their daughter’s school and that they were worried about their granddaughter. Their granddaughter, Marinette, had been wrongly accused of several things including theft, cheating, and bullying by a student in her class. Some of the students had come forward to challenge that, saying Marinette was the one being bullied, but it seemed the staff wasn’t listening. 

When Gina mentioned it was a diplomat’s daughter who was claiming all this, Alfred wasn’t surprised the school wasn’t doing anything. Odds were, they didn’t want to have to deal with the embassy or risk souring that foreign relationship. He was concerned as well about Marinette. For an omega, their social circles were extremely important. Even Tim had his social group (even if it was small and mostly full of alphas). How was Marinette coping with the loss?

When they asked if Alfred would mind taking her, the beta hadn’t hesitated to agree. He wanted to get Marinette out of that toxic environment as soon as possible. It would alleviate the stress Marinette and her parents were under. Marinette would be away from the people hurting her, and knowing their little girl would be safe and taken care of would allow her parents to focus on taking down this school and keeping their business running. He also knew Bruce wouldn’t turn his request down, not when he told him what was going on. He knew Bruce had a soft heart. Quite frankly, Alfred wouldn’t be surprised if he announced she was an honorary member of the Wayne Pack.

What had surprised Alfred was a written letter from Marinette begging him to help her hide a friend.

Apparently, the pup was being abused at home and couldn’t take the strain any longer. Marinette had sent photographic proof to them, as well as having her friend write them. According to her, the physical abuse was new. She told them that the pup had often been locked away, refused free time, or was threatened to be isolated if he didn’t do exactly what his father wanted. His father also spent very little time with him and was generally neglectful, but this was the first time her friend had ever been struck.

Luckily, Clark Kent had been visiting when he and Bruce had discovered this and was able to stop both of them from flying to Paris to kick Gabriel Agreste’s ass. Clark had been just as livid but was able to keep his cool long enough to remind the pair there were PERFECTLY legal ways to make Gabriel pay for his treatment of his pup. Bruce hadn’t hesitated to accept both pups into his house, not that Alfred was shocked by the decision. They’d decided to keep this knowledge from the boys until the pair arrived. They wanted to see just how bad things were before springing their boys on the poor Parisians...that being said, Alfred had a feeling Tim knew what was going on.

Tim hadn’t said anything, but Alfred knew the family’s only omega had noticed something was up. Thankfully, Tim often kept his investigations to himself, so the house had remained quiet for the time being. Alfred loved his boys very much, they were like the grandchildren he never had, but the other three alphas could be a lot to deal with. Dick would surely want to know why they were there and would hover once he’d discovered the truth. Jason would want to fly to Paris and murder everyone involved. Damian was the wildcard in this situation. Either he’d hate them and want them gone or he’d follow Jason’s line of thinking. He’d also probably become extremely protective if he decided that they were worth protecting, and Alfred wasn’t looking forward to explaining to ANOTHER alpha why one couldn’t just smother another person and expect them to be okay with it.

Now he was waiting in a very crowded airport with a sign that read _ Miss Dupain-Cheng and Mr Pennyworth. _ It had been Alfred’s idea to claim the boy was a distant relation to him as he did have some relatives that he didn’t keep in close contact with. Bruce had assisted in making a false passport and paperwork for Adrien to use so his father wouldn’t be able to locate him. They’d also coordinated with his bodyguard, an equally concerned alpha by the name of Laurent, to help coordinate the escape effort. 

The last contact Alfred had had was from Laurent, saying that everyone had gotten on their respective planes and were off to their destinations. That was hours ago, and Alfred was worried about how things would go when they arrived. Would they be stressed? Would they be anxious? Would it be a good idea to introduce Adrien to the three alphas or would Dick, Jason, and Damian be too much for him? How would Marinette react when they tried to get near Adrien?

There were many what ifs that raced around his mind, and there was only one question Alfred had the answer to. He knew he was doing the right thing by offering them a way out. He knew the pair were willing to leave what they knew behind for a chance at safety, and Alfred would be damned if he let the pups down. It would be a delicate situation for a time, but they would get through it.

He stood tall as he smelled something familiar. The scent of vanilla bean ice cream tinted with the smell of cherry blossoms drew Alfred’s attention to his left. His eyes scanned the crowd until they came across a small dark haired girl, leading a boy by the hand through the crowd. She stood at probably five foot and had dark haired pulled into pigtails. Her eyes were bright grey, fierce looking and burning. Her expression was one that promised swift retribution should anyone try and stop her from reaching her destination. 

The brunet behind her looked much more anxious about being in the crowd than she did. Alfred felt a rush of pity as he watched how the boy’s head hung low, as if he were trying to make himself smaller. He was much taller than the girl he was with, but was clearly much more afraid of being noticed. His green eyes were darting around the crowd as if waiting for someone to pop out of nowhere. Alfred couldn’t smell the boy’s scent for it was clouded, alarmingly artificial to his keen nose. The boy must have been wearing some kind of scent masker in order to disguise his true gender as Tim had done when he was much younger...back when he was still living with his parents.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng! Mr. Pennyworth!” he called out, a gentle smile resting on his face.

He watched as the dark haired girl’s eyes darted in his direction. A genuine smile broke out on her face as she began to tug her companion over to him. Alfred saw the boy’s green eyes lock onto him and the ghost of a smile tugged on the boy’s lips. The pair seemed to relax the closer they got to him, which filled Alfred with a small bit of relief.

“Bonjour, Monsieur Pennyworth,” the girl greeted. “I am Marinette. This is Aiden.”

“Greetings, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Hello, Aiden. I am Alfred Pennyworth. It’s nice to meet you,” Alfred said softly. “The car is out front. Master Bruce is waiting for us.”

“...he didn’t want to wait for us?” a voice whimpered. “Are you sure we’re not...not a bother?”

Alfred’s heart clenched as he looked over the boy. He looked absolutely uncertain, his head hanging low once more. The poor pup looked ready to shake out of his skin, and he was practically glued to Marinette’s side now. He also looked seconds away from crying as well.

“Oh heavens, no! Master Bruce and I simply thought it might be better if I greeted you,” Alfred soothed. “Master Bruce looks forward to having both of you in his home. He simply did not wish to overwhelm you. He knows he can be a very intimidating-looking alpha at first glance.”

“See? Everything’s all right,” Marinette cooed. “Everything’s all right, mon chaton. They just thought we might want a beta to greet us instead of an alpha. That doesn’t mean they don’t want us.”

“Miss Dupain-Cheng is correct. We didn’t wish to cause you any more distress than you may have already suffered. I doubt this trip has been easy on you.”

“Thank you, Monsieur Pennyworth. It has been a very stressful trip. I thank you for the concern both you and Monsieur Wayne have expressed for us,” Marinette said. “Why don’t we go to the car now, Aiden?”

Adrien nodded timidly, but thankfully he no longer looked as if he was going to cry. To Alfred’s great relief, the boy straightened up a little more, not looking as terrified. He walked alongside Marinette, still holding her hand, but not needing to be pulled along as much. They managed to make it through the crowd and towards the black car waiting out front. He spoke quietly to the pair, but only Marinette answered him at the moment. Adrien seemed lost in thought to Alfred, but he could only begin to guess what the boy was thinking about.

As Alfred turned to take their luggage, he heard the car door open. Alfred watched Adrien try to shrink behind Marinette, who’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Her vanilla and cherry blossom scent filled the air around them, but whether it was to soothe Adrien or cut through the new scent Alfred couldn’t tell. He took a deep breath and turned to see the pack alpha standing behind them.

Hearing a feminine snarl, all Alfred could think of was that he really hoped Master Bruce remembered his manners.


	4. Adrien Really Isn't Sure About This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien nodded, but the panic in his stomach started to settle. Marinette had started to purr in order to calm him, something he greatly appreciated. He noted that even the strange beta was trying to calm him by keeping a safe distance and keeping his own scent gentle. Marinette walked beside him as they followed Alfred. Adrien kept his focus on Marinette, trying to fight back the fear raging in his chest.
> 
> What would this Bruce Wayne be like? He was an alpha, so clearly he was powerful...but who was Bruce Wayne? He accepted two strange and foreign teens into his home willingly. Adrien’s father would never have allowed that. Maybe it was because Marinette was an omega and he was a beta? But that wouldn’t have mattered to Gabriel Agreste. His father had kept anyone and everyone out of the house, especially after his mother disappeared. 

Adrien had still been on edge as they exited the plane, but thankfully his anxiety had lessened with the knowledge he was now on American soil. He’d been cuddled up to Marinette for most of the trip, thankfully keeping him calm. He hadn’t a clue what he’d do without her. Ever since...it had happened, Marinette had been his saving grace. She hadn’t hesitated to protect him, even at the expense of her friends, her pseudo pack. She had even saved him from his own pack.

So he didn’t terribly mind as she pulled him through the airport, despite what the whispers around them were saying. Adrien had to fight back a wince every time someone muttered about how he should put Marinette in her place as her alpha. Alpha. Alpha. God, how he had grown to hate that word. He hated how full of expectations it was. He hated how much fear it sent coursing through his veins. He hated how pathetic it made him feel…

Marinette let out a soft coo, her gentle vanilla and cherry blossom scent wrapping around him comfortingly. He wished he could return the favor with his own scent, but as a protective measure they’d applied balm to mask and change his scent. The alpha pheromones made him want to vomit, so he tried to reduce giving off a scent as much as he could. Marinette had promised him they could wash it off once they were safe.

The sooner they got out of this crowd, the safer Adrien would feel. He hated being surrounded by so many people. He was still worried about being discovered and didn’t want to risk someone recognizing his face. So he kept his head low and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. He was just another alpha with his mate. He was just another alpha who was wrapped around the finger of his little omega. He was-

Marinette continued to coo at him quietly, putting him at ease until he heard their names being called. Adrien saw Marinette’s face light up and her scent remained at ease. He found out who she was looking at and gave a half-smile as well. It was an older gentleman, average height, bald on top with black hair. He was dressed in an impeccable suit. He smelled like old books and earl grey tea...and was most definitely a beta. 

“Bonjour, Monsieur Pennyworth,” Marinette greeted. “I am Marinette. This is Aiden.”

“Greetings, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Hello, Aiden. I’m Alfred Pennyworth. It’s nice to meet you,” the man said softly. “The car is out front. Master Bruce is waiting for us.”

The alpha didn’t come to get them? Marinette had told him the alpha they were staying with was Bruce Wayne. Why hadn’t the alpha come to greet them? Were they intruding? Did he not want them around? Why hadn’t he come? Did he not want them? Did-

“...he didn’t want to wait for us?” he found himself whimpering. “Are you sure we’re not...not a bother?”

Adrien felt as Marinette’s grip tightened on his hand while he felt as if the air had left his lungs. His alpha never would have allowed this. His alpha would have been waiting for them. His alpha would have been oozing his pheromones everywhere to assert his absolute dominance. His alpha would have been staring them down-

Marinette’s scent intensified again, and he pressed hard into her side. He could feel his eyes begin to burn with unshed tears as he leaned on Marinette for support. Adrien held his head low, focusing on his shoes instead of anything else. He could feel the bile burning in the back of his throat. He already made his new alpha mad. He already made his new alpha mad. He already-

“Oh heavens, no! Master Bruce and I simply thought it might be better if I greeted you,” Alfred said soothingly. “Master Bruce looks forward to having both of you in his home. He simply did not wish to overwhelm you. He knows he can be a very intimidating-looking alpha at first glance.”

“See? Everything’s all right,” Marinette cooed. “Everything’s all right, mon chaton. They just thought we might want a beta to greet us instead of an alpha. That doesn’t mean they don’t want us.”

“Miss Dupain-Cheng is correct. We didn’t wish to cause you any more distress than you may have already suffered. I doubt this trip has been easy on you.”

“Thank you, Monsieur Pennyworth. It has been a very stressful trip. I thank you for the concern both you and Monsieur Wayne have expressed for us,” Marinette said. “Why don’t we go to the car now, Aiden?”

Adrien nodded, but the panic in his stomach started to settle. Marinette had started to purr in order to calm him, something he greatly appreciated. He noted that even the strange beta was trying to calm him by keeping a safe distance and keeping his own scent gentle. Marinette walked beside him as they followed Alfred. Adrien kept his focus on Marinette, trying to fight back the fear raging in his chest.

What would this Bruce Wayne be like? He was an alpha, so clearly he was powerful...but who was Bruce Wayne? He accepted two strange and foreign teens into his home willingly. Adrien’s father would never have allowed that. Maybe it was because Marinette was an omega and he was a beta? But that wouldn’t have mattered to Gabriel Agreste. His father had kept anyone and everyone out of the house, especially after his mother disappeared. 

Would Bruce Wayne be cold like his father? What would his sons be like? Would they be nice to them? Would they want him and Marinette out of their home? Would any of them try to hurt Marinette? Did he really want them there? Gabriel never wanted him-

The scent of pine needles and lemon broke Adrien out of his thoughts. His eyes drifted towards the source of the new scent, and he instinctively felt the need to hide. Standing before them was possibly one of the most intimidating alphas he’d ever seen. Adrien scanned over the tall alpha who screamed power. He was broad shouldered and very muscular. His jaw was sharp, despite the fact he had an almost soft look on his face. His icy eyes were sharp despite the gentle look he was giving the pair.

Adrien immediately tilted his head down, scrunched his shoulders in and attempted to look as small as possible. He tried breathing slowly, keeping himself centered so that he wouldn’t stink up the area with his false alpha scent. His green eyes anxiously looked between Marinette, who had stepped entirely in front of him, and the alpha that got out of the car.

Marinette’s soothing scent filled his nose, but her snarl made him worried. He looked at the alpha fearfully, wondering how he would react to Marinette. He knew his father wouldn’t have hesitated to try and hurt her for being so rude, but this alpha...was he bearing his throat to Marinette?

Adrien watched in shock as the black haired alpha attempted to make himself look smaller. He’d also raised his head, bearing his neck in submission, to Marinette instead of fixing her with a glare as most alphas did. He was not pumping out pheromones to try and intimidate them either. As a matter of fact, it seemed like the Wayne alpha was trying to soften his scent as much as possible. He looked up for a moment, icy-blue eyes gazing at the pair of them, but mostly on Marinette

“Hello, my name is Bruce Wayne. I’ll be responsible for the pair of you while you’re in Gotham,” the alpha said, his low baritone voice oddly soothing to Adrien. “I hope you will excuse my rudeness, but I didn’t wish to frighten you upon our first meeting, so Alfred went in to fetch you instead. May I help you with your bags?”

Marinette eyed him warily, but saw no challenge in the alpha’s eyes. In fact, she was surprised and shocked to see that the alpha actually looked very concerned. He still hadn’t straightened up, keeping himself as small as he could manage, not changing his display of submission. He did not move until Marinette gestured for him to, making her unease melt a little. Mr. Wayne didn’t seem to want to frighten them. No, his goal seemed to be to cause as little distress as possible.

“You may get in the car if you wish,” Bruce said, once again in a low, soft voice. “Alfred and I will sit in the front once we’re finished putting your bags in the car.”

Adrien felt almost every anxiety slip away when he realized that Bruce was not going to challenge Marinette. He too noticed that the alpha seemed to be taking painstaking precautions not to threaten or alarm them. The differences between Bruce Wayne and Gabriel Agreste were very clear rather quickly. Just the way he interacted with his Head Omega made Adrien feel lightyears safer. It was clear Bruce respected her and her position by keeping a reasonable distance between him and the pair of them. 

Hell, Bruce even gave Adrien a gentle smile when he caught Adrien looking at him!

Marinette nudged him and opened the car door. The pair slid inside before shutting the door, waiting for a moment to see if either of the older men were getting in yet. When they didn’t hear anything, Marinette turned her attention to Adrien. She looked a lot less upset than she’d been earlier, and her scent had finally softened to the point Adrien no longer felt on edge. 

“_ So what do you think of them? _ ” Marinette asked quietly. “ _ Monsieur Wayne is...interesting. _”

“_ He didn’t try to hurt you. He showed you a lot of respect too. My dad would have tried to tear your throat out if you did that to him. Monsieur Wayne seemed to respect and accept it,” _ Adrien responded. “ _ ...I am okay with this right now. I think we should give it a shot.” _

Marinette nodded with a thoughtful look upon her face. He knew that his reaction would influence Marinette’s decision to stay or leave. Adrien wanted to give these guys a chance. Alfred had been very nice to them so far, and the Wayne alpha...Adrien just had to keep reminding himself that he wasn’t his father. As long as he remembered that, he’d be okay. Monsieur Wayne hadn’t tried to hurt them yet. He’d actually given a display of submission to the small omega as a sign of respect!

Adrien noticed that she still looked uncertain. Had it just been her, Marinette would’ve had no problem staying with them. He knew that was a fact, and that his involvement was what was making this a lot messier than it needed to be. He knew it was his skittishness around alphas that was causing the issue. Adrien needed to convince Marinette that he did feel okay and wasn’t lying to her. He did really want to give this a try. If Monsieur Wayne was really as nice of an alpha as he seemed to be, than Adrien was almost certain that Gabriel wouldn’t be able to get his hands on him.

“_ He bared his throat to you, my Lady,” _ Adrien pointed out. “ _ He submitted to you. I don’t get the feeling that Monsieur Wayne does that for many people. I think we can trust him.” _

Marinette’s big grey eyes stared him down for a few moments, as if she were trying to read into his soul. Seeing his determination, Marinette sighed before looking down into her purse.

“_ What do you think, Tikki?” _ she asked.

The little goddess darted up to her cheek, gently nuzzeling her chosen. Her dark blue-purple eyes looked at the pair for a moment before humming in thought. Tikki had been quietly sitting in Marinette’s purse since they boarded the flight, and she’d delegated herself to listening to everything that went on around her chosen. She had been just as worried as Adrien had when Marinette snarled at the much larger alpha, but thankfully nothing had happened. Aside from the alpha submitting to _ Marinette _. Tikki thought back to all previous holders that had been alphas.

Very, _ very _ few of the alpha holders, even Tikki’s, would have publicly submitted to an omega unless that omega was their mate. To have an outsider alpha submit to her holder? Tikki thought that was a more positive sign that this alpha truly meant her little Bug and Plagg’s Kit no harm. She rested herself on top of Marinette’s hair before answering.

“_ Adrien has a point, Marinette. I can’t recall any alpha holder of mine or any other that would ever willingly submit to an unknown omega,” _ Tikki said slowly. “ _ The fact he did it in the parking lot? Outside an airport where anyone could see him? He really wanted to show you that you could trust him.” _

_ “If you want my advice, Pigtails,” _ Plagg began, popping out of Adrien’s shirt pocket. “ _ I’d go with it for now. Right now you’ve both got free digs and food. If we’ve gotta, we’ll transform and blow this joint, but you both don’t have a lot of money, so we should conserve for emergencies.” _

_ “Sound idea, Plagg, _ ” Marinette admitted. _ “I just want to make sure everyone’s going to be okay.” _

_ “Mari, I swear that I’ll tell you the second I’m uncomfortable with anything,” _ Adrien said, putting a hand on her shoulder. _ “I think...I think they could be good for us.” _

Marinette looked at both kwamis before looking back at Adrien- her partner, her silly kitty, her best friend. He still looked a bit uncomfortable, but the light had come back to his eyes. No longer did he look so haunted and frightened as he had when they’d first left Paris. He looked...more at ease, relaxing back into the seat. He yawned, rubbing his cheek against Marinette’s shoulder. He was ready for another cat nap, and Marinette was more than willing to let herself be his pillow. She heard the front doors open and saw Monsieurs Pennyworth and Wayne get in.

Unlike before, the addition of Bruce’s scent didn’t cause Adrien to bolt up. He stiffened slightly, but after a few deep breaths he relaxed into Marinette’ side. He let out another yawn, giving in to the heaviness of his eyelids. The last thing he heard was Marinette’s soft voice cooing to him before he let his exhaustion take him.


	5. Note From The Author

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I promise I'm not abandoning this fic!!!

Hey, everybody!

I just wanted to let you guys know that while I'm not abandoning this fic, updates are going to be super slow for the time being! I'm just wrapping up my first semester in graduate school, so I have to prepare for my finals and finish some projects before I can keep working. I DO have plans to finish this fic, and I WILL be finishing it. It's just things are a little crazy at the moment with school. I also plan to do Daminette December, which also might slow down update progress.

Thanks for reading, commenting, and giving this work kudos! I really appreciate it, and I'm going to try my best to keep chugging away at this fic.

Wishing everyone best luck on their finals/tests/exams in the upcoming weeks,

littlekittykanny


	6. Bruce's a Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce meets the two pups he's bringing into his home. Bruce and Marinette talk a little.

Bruce Wayne had been worried from the moment Alfred had first discussed this with him.

Now he had proof that he was right to be concerned about the well-being and health of the two pups. While Bruce was an alpha, he could easily recall all the times his mother had had her friends over when he was a pup. Martha Wayne had always been surrounded by other high society omegas. Bruce remembered them being there constantly...he also remembered how depressed and sick looking they’d been after his mother’s death.

Martha Wayne had been the Head Omega of her group, and without her, the group suffered greatly. Several of her friends had become depressed. It wasn’t until another omega stepped up in Martha’s absence that the group really recovered. They slowly regained their health and gave Bruce their condolences. They were really the only ones Bruce had accepted condolences from...because losing her had hurt them just as much as it had hurt him. 

To hear a group of omegas **willingly** turn on their Head Omega?

Practically unheard of and usually very bad.

He could only hope that bringing Marinette here would help her recover from her loss. He also was full of rage at the adults who stood by and watched this happen to the sweet omega. He couldn’t believe anyone who had the full story would ever choose to go against Marinette. Clearly the children hadn’t known, but the adults should have been better informed. Bruce was also still strongly considering going to Paris and breaking several of Gabriel Agreste’s bones for lying to everyone.

If everyone had known Adrien’s true secondary gender, than so many incidents could have been avoided! Marinette’s overprotectiveness wouldn’t have confused her classmates and sowed discord among them. Marinette would have been able to keep her status as the class’s Head Omega! Adrien wouldn’t have suffered the attentions of many omegas who wished to mate with the attractive model. Since Gabriel kept stating that Adrien would be an alpha (and that he was just a late bloomer like apparently Gabe himself had been), there had been no shortage of people swooning over him.

Including one Lila Rossi.

Bruce really wanted to have a word with that damn beta’s mother as well. Faking that she was an omega? Faking almost her entire life story? Name dropping celebrities that didn’t know her? Stealing Marinette’s accomplishments? Stealing Marinette’s spot from her by lying? Sexually harassing Adrien? Putting his hands on that poor boy no matter how many times he asked her to stop?

To make things even worse, Gabriel had only encouraged it. He had allowed that viper in his house, near his pup! He had allowed this girl to touch his pup and harass him without consequences! Things had only gotten worse for poor Adrien as time went on…

Bruce had actually **strongly** rethought his no killing policy when Alfred had showed him the pictures of the poor pup. He’d been...leashed to pole connected to his bed. His entire body had been covered in bruises and scratches clearly left by someone’s fingernails. He had suffered a concussion, several sprains, and a dislocated shoulder.

According to Laurent, things would have gotten **a lot** worse had he not intervened at that moment. The bodyguard had told them that he’d had to physically drag Gabriel away from his son...before anything else could happen. It was than that Laurent had decided he was no longer going to allow Adrien to stay in that house.

Since he’d known Laurent his entire life, Adrien had trusted to alpha to help him recover enough to escape. Bruce knew he was a stranger and worried about how Adrien would react to him or his sons. He also did not know how Marinette would react to alphas getting so close to the boy Alfred had told him was under **her** protection. That had been his reasoning for sending Alfred into the airport to retrieve the two while he waited in the car. He was relying on Alfred to suss out what condition the pair was in before they got to the manor.

Bruce will admit he’d been hoping for the best when they came out. Marinette had been smiling and talking to Alfred, and Adrien hadn’t looked too terrified. He waited until they were close before opening his door. He stepped out, only to notice Adrien was now trying to shrink behind Marinette. The boy’s green eyes looked between him and Marinette, who to her credit, immediately knew something was wrong.

While he couldn’t openly smell the boy’s fear, Marinette seemed to catch on quickly. She put herself between himself and Adrien without hesitation, her slate grey eyes locking onto him. She was looking at him analytically, eyes narrowed as a snarl passed her lips. This made Bruce pause, seeing just how determined this tiny slip of an omega was to protect her packmate. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides, but Bruce was positive they would fly without hesitation if he wasn’t very careful with his next decision.

Against his instincts, the first thing Bruce decided to do was bare his throat to the tiny omega in a display of submission. He also hunched his shoulders in and attempted to make himself appear smaller, less of a threat to her and her packmate. He focused to ensure that he wasn’t putting out a lot of pheromones. Overpowering them with his scent right now would only make Adrien panic and that would highly agitate Marinette.

Ensuring he wasn’t scowling, Bruce looked at the pair, but focused his attention on Marinette.

“Hello, my name is Bruce Wayne. I’ll be responsible for the pair of you while you’re in Gotham,” he said, keeping his voice low and gentle. “I hope you will excuse my rudeness, but I didn’t wish to frighten you upon our first meeting, so Alfred went in to fetch you instead. May I help you with your bags?”

He waited for Marinette to make the first move. He didn’t want to startle the omega or make her feel cornered in any way. The only thing Bruce was pleased with at the moment was the fact that Alfred was smiling at him, meaning he must have done the right thing. It wasn’t until Marinette nodded slowly that Bruce began to move towards Alfred. He stuck close to the car, giving both pups their space. He moved slowly as well, letting Marinette track his movements easily. The pups eyed him warily, but Marinette seemed surprised by his actions. He could only hope that meant he was starting to gain a modicum of her trust.

“You may get in the car if you wish,” Bruce said, keeping the same tone as before. “Alfred and I will sit in the front once we’re finished putting your bags in the car.”

He began to help Alfred pack the car, only watching the pups out of the corner of his eye. They seemed to be more relaxed for the moment, making Bruce feel relieved. Once they settled in the backseat and closed the door, he turned his attention to Alfred. The older beta sighed sadly before responding, “I only have a theory about Miss Dupain-Cheng as of now. I believe that losing her pack caused her to latch onto Adrien firmly. She seems willing to do anything to keep him safe, which does concern me, Master Bruce.”

“You think Marinette will throw herself into dangerous situations to protect him?”

Alfred nodded solemnly before saying, “She was ready to trade blows with you was she not? While I’m sure she could handle the garden-variety types, with her mother’s extensive background in martial arts, but I’m more concerned about...our friends from the asylum.”

Bruce hummed for a moment. That was certainly true. Marinette had taken plenty of self-defense classes, and her mother had taught her a great deal of what she knew, but Gotham was full of danger. Should Marinette try to square off with one of Gotham’s rogues...Bruce didn’t want to think about that. He made a mental note to have Jason keep an eye on Marinette so the dark haired girl didn’t end up in that position. 

“Boy seems very shaken,” Bruce continued, looking around quickly.

“He is, Master Bruce, but after what he’s been through I don’t blame him. Poor thing looked ready to faint as Marinette dragged him through the airport. His only source of comfort right now appears to be Marinette. She keeps him close, purrs, coos, and does whatever she has to to keep him calm,” Alfred said quietly. “Thankfully, Adrien feeling anxious doesn’t mean Marinette is on edge. It seems some external stimulus is needed before Marinette begins to get upset.”

“She wasn’t on edge going through the airport?”

“If she was, she hid it well, Master Bruce. While Marinette looked determined to get through the crowd, she didn’t snap or snarl at anyone. She also was perfectly fine upon meeting me while still having to soothe the boy’s anxiety.”

They finished putting the luggage into the trunk and walked towards the front doors. Alfred got in on the driver’s side while Bruce sat in the passenger’s seat. He looked back to see a sight that put him a bit more at ease. Marinette was sitting quietly in the back seat with Adrien leaned against her. The boy’s head was laying against Marinette’s shoulder, and he appeared to be drifting off to sleep. Marinette began to sing softly to him, carding her fingers through his short hair.

Bruce didn’t say anything, simply watched as the Head Omega soothed her packmate to sleep. He silently wondered if she could do the same to Tim. The good Gods above knew his third pup desperately needed more rest. Tim would probably try to resist the other omega’s mother-henning, but Bruce was certain Marinette could handle Tim. After the fierce display she’d just shown him, it was obvious that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was not easily cowed. She would probably drag his third pup to bed, make him think it was his idea, and send him to sleep. 

“...is there something I can help you with, Monsieur Wayne?” a soft voice broke the silence.

Bruce looked to see that Marinette had caught him looking before giving her a smile.

“I was just wondering if that technique would work on my son, Tim,” he answered honestly. “He needs to sleep more, but he won’t listen to-and I quote- ‘thick-headed alphas who have no idea what it’s like to be an omega CEO’.”

“Your son’s an omega CEO?” Marinette asked, surprise clear in her voice.

“Yes, my third son,” Bruce said. “Timothy Drake-Wayne. My two older sons didn’t have the head for business, alphas or not. Tim’s probably the smartest of the bunch, and the best when it comes to handling business affairs. It remains to be seen whether or not my youngest is interested in the family business or whether he wants to try and make his own name.”

“...what’s he the CEO of?”

“Wayne Enterprises of course! I’m still actively involved in the company, but Tim is the one leading it. I had an accident a while back, and Tim did such a marvelous job holding down the fort. He worked hard for it, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to let him keep the position.”

“...so you don’t mind your omega son’s leading it instead of one of your alpha sons?”

Bruce didn’t hesitate to answer, realizing what Marinette was trying to do.

“No, I don’t mind at all. I’m proud of all my boys, regardless if they’re adopted or what their secondary gender is. Tim worked so hard to keep the company going when I couldn't. Not to say that my other sons didn’t help, but it wouldn’t have done as well without Tim ,” he said firmly. “He deserved it the most.”

“Adopted?” Marinette asked, despite already knowing the answer.

She simply wanted to see how he would answer that question, already satisfied with the answer Bruce had given for the previous question.

“Yes, my three eldest sons are all adopted.The eldest is Richard Grayson-Wayne, though he prefers to be called by his nickname Dick. He’s an alpha and has been working as a police officer. He’s not mated yet, but he’s been seeing an omega named Wally. He also has an adorable little girl from a relationship that didn’t pan out. Dick’s the light hearted, protective, emotional big brother. I’m sure he’ll take to the two of you immediately.

Jason Todd-Wayne, my next son, is an alpha as well. He’s rough around the edges, but don’t let that fool you. Jason’s one of the most genuine and passionate individuals I’ve ever met. I don’t believe he’s seeing anyone at the moment. Jason works as a freelance security agent and honestly enjoys it. Ignore Jason if he asks you to spar. He just wants to show off. He wouldn’t hurt either of you, even if he can be a hard-headed moron.

I’ve already told you about Tim, but I have another adopted child, a beta named Cassandra. She doesn’t stop by very much anymore. She stays with my cousin, Kate, more often than not. Cass doesn’t quite care for the spotlight, and I support her decisions. She’s the quietest of my children, and the one who gives me the least headaches.

My youngest son is my only biological child. His name is Damian, and I believe he’s the same age as the pair of you. He is an alpha as well. Damian is currently attending school and doing some work at Wayne Enterprises. I’m not sure he likes it as much as Tim, but he’s yet to complain otherwise. Though, I have a feeling Damian will want to venture out and do his own thing once he’s comfortable enough. He’s stubborn and slow to warm up, but he has a good heart deep down. His mother put him through a lot before leaving him with me, so he’s had to learn how to interact with others as it happened. He’s come a long way though, and I’m proud of him.”

Marinette smiled as Bruce talked about his children. It was clear from the sound of his voice that he loved all his children dearly. There was clear pride in the way he talked about them. A fond expression was on his face, and he’d been smiling the entire time. He then told her about his granddaughter, Mar’i, who had just turned two. Bruce went on to tell her how Mar’i was the sun and stars of Dick’s world, and how her uncles were more than happy to play with the little girl. He also talked about Dick’s boyfriend Wally, and how well he got along with Mar’i.

Bruce felt himself grow relieved as he watched Marinette relax into her seat. It seemed like telling her about his family was the correct course of action. The omega seemed happier now, and Bruce suspected it was probably because she now knew his thoughts on omegas. Hearing how he’d given a high power position to his omega son, and how he’d supported it, had separated him from Gabriel Agreste. Bruce didn’t care what secondary gender his children were. They all had their own skills and talents, and Bruce was immensely proud of them. Gabriel had clearly cared about secondary gender…

The rest of the car ride was spent with Marinette and Bruce quietly sharing information with one another. Marinette told him about how she grew up in a bakery with her parents. She told him how her hobbies were baking, sewing, and drawing. She mentioned her dream was to be a designer, but one on her own right. When he brought up the Gabriel brand as well as Style Queen, a look of cold fury entered her otherwise smiling face. 

"While both Monsieur Agreste and Madam Bourgeois are very successful in their own right, they've made some… questionable choices," she said in a way that made Bruce oh so very proud. "I'd rather be known on my own terms through my own accomplishments, and not just because I attended school with their only children."

Clark would _ love _ this girl. She seemed to already know just how to shape her words into a double-edged sword. Marinette had given Bruce a professional-grade answer that showed her disapproval while not directly calling out either individual’s specific choices. She'd even given herself a plausible out by insisting she didn't want to be seen as using her friends for fame. Clark "I can insult you to your face, and you'd thank me for it" Kent would have a ball talking to Marinette.

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Miss Dupain-Cheng," Alfred said from his seat. "You have already accomplished so much according to your portfolio. Designing for Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale? That's truly impressive. Your parents must be proud."

"They are," she said softly. "I just wish I could've done better…maybe none of this would have happened then."

Bruce and Alfred shared a look before turning their attention back to her.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng, may I call you Marinette?” Bruce asked.

The small girl gave him an unsure nod, and Bruce continued.

“Marinette, what happened wasn’t your fault. Yes, you’re obviously a strong, independent, creative, and loyal person, otherwise you wouldn’t be a Head Omega, but you’re still a child. It wasn’t your responsibility to protect Adrien from his father. It wasn’t your responsibility to protect him from that girl. It wasn’t your responsibility to fix every problem that your classmates had. You shouldn’t have been the one running your classroom.

That was the adults’ responsibility. Your teacher should have been doing more to control her classroom. Gabriel Agreste should have been a better father to his pup. The adults in your life shouldn’t have pushed all that responsibility on you.”

“But I’m the Head-”

“Even my mother didn’t do as much as you did at your age, Marinette. My mother, Martha, was the Head Omega of her own group. Yes, she protected the omegas under her watch, but they helped her too. They helped her organize events to better omega rights. They helped her plan parties, events, rallies. Her pack helped her when she was in crisis just as much as she helped them. 

That’s the point of an omega pack! Yes, there’s one omega a lot like yourself at the head, but you’re supposed to support and protect one another. It’s a give and take, and quite frankly Marinette, you’ve been doing a lot of giving and barely any taking. That’s not fair to you.”

Bruce watched as Marinette sat quietly for a moment, fully processing what he’d just shared with her. He watched the tears well up in her eyes as her lower lip trembled. Her scent shifted into something soft and terribly sad. She sniffled a little bit before hoarsely whispering, “I did my best. I tried so hard.”

“We know you did, Marinette. That’s why when Alfred asked if you could stay with us, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. You deserve to have the rest of your childhood too,” Bruce said softly.

“It’s true, Miss Marinette,” Alfred joined in. “Your grandmother is a dear friend of mine. She’s told me all about you, about how proud she and your parents are of you, and about what a wonderful person you’ve grown into. I believe I owe you a thank you myself. If it hadn’t been for your determination, I would have never reconciled with my old friend Rolland.”

“You know Grandpere too?” Marinette asked.

“Yes, I met Rolland and Gina in Paris many years ago. They were my best friends until Rolland had a falling out with your father. I tried to help at Gina’s request, but that made Rolland very angry,” Alfred explained. “I hadn’t heard from him in decades, but thanks to you, Miss Marinette, I have regained one of my dearest friends. Thank you very much.”

“Now it’s our turn to take care of you,” Bruce said. “Let us handle the big things. Focus more on yourself. You don’t have to do everything alone any more.”

With those words, Bruce watched as Marinette burst into tears


	7. We've Arrived

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette thinks over what Bruce said. Adrien is supportive.

Marinette wasn’t sure she could believe it.

But Kwamis did she want to.

This big alpha who reminded her a bit of her own father (except Monsieur Wayne looked a lot more serious than her papa usually did) told her that she was enough. He told her that she’d done more than enough for her pack. He told her it wasn’t her fault. He told her that she didn’t have to do everything on her own. He told her that she could just worry about herself.

Marinette didn’t realize how  _ relieving _ that would feel.

Sure, her maman and papa were always there to support her. Her maman and papa would always be there to help her, and they always put her first, but they couldn’t be with her at all times. They couldn't go to school with her and stop Lila's lies. They couldn’t protect Adrien from Gabriel. They couldn’t make her omega pack treat her the way Bruce described.

They did their best to help her with her duties as Head Omega, but Marinette had always felt guilty asking them for more than assisting with the food. Her parents had a bakery to run, after all. They didn't have time to help Marinette plan every birthday party, class event, or class activity that Marinette was required to do as both Head Omega and Class President.

Thinking about it made Marinette's heart  _ ache _ . She used to love planning birthday parties for her class, especially her fellow omegas. She used to love planning out fun activities for her omega pack to do after school— like going to the zoo or the pool. She used to love sitting with her omegas and just talking about life and what was going on. She missed being able to help her friends. She missed being able to go to school without wondering what was going to happen next. 

Ms. Bustier had wanted her to be the exemplary student. She wanted Marinette to always take the high road, to always look after others, and to always do the right thing. But how could Marinette do all of that? How could she do the right thing if pointing out Lila was a liar was wrong and made everyone angry with her? How could she do the right thing if protecting Adrien meant that the other omegas in the class would turn against her because they didn’t believe her? How could she protect Adrien if no one would admit the truth about him? How could Marinette do anything when every time she’d acted she was scorned and disciplined? How could she do anything when everyone else had turned their backs on them?

Marinette knew that Bruce wasn’t going to have all the answers to her problems either. The biggest difference between Paris and here was that someone with the power to do something was finally  **acting** . 

Bruce was using his wealth and connections to shelter Adrien from his father when the school should have reported the man for child abuse. Bruce, so far, had not expected Marinette to do anything for him while her class had expected her to move heaven and earth for them. He had respected her defense of Adrien and had not made any moves to suggest he was trying to threaten or intimidate her. It seemed he wasn’t just going to leave her to take care of everything like what had been done before. 

She felt her sobs subside as she heard a soft purring sound coming from beside her. She turned her head slightly and saw Adrien’s sleep-laden bright green eyes. He was purring, though it was quiet and nervous. He kept nuzzling her shoulder, the tip of his nose passing over the scent gland on her neck. 

“ _ Mari? What’s the matter? Why are you crying?”  _ Adrien asked groggily. 

“ _ I did my best. I really did. I tried really hard,” _ Marinette sniffed, rubbing her cheek against his hair.  _ "All I ever wanted to do was protect my pack. I wanted to keep you safe. I-" _

“ _ I know, Mari, I know. You do so much, and you try so hard to help everyone. I never thanked you for saving me, Mari, so thank you, so very much. I love you, Mari. You’re the best Head Omega anyone could ask for. I’m so happy you’re mine,”  _ he cooed with a yawn. “ _ Sleep, Mari. You didn’t really rest on the plane. Alpha will wake us when we get home.” _

Marinette blinked in shock, taking in Adrien’s words. She knew how much Adrien appreciated her. She didn’t really need to hear that in words...but it felt good anyway. It felt good to hear him say he loved her. It felt good to hear that he was happy to be in her pack. She was also thrilled to hear Adrien relaxed enough to purr as he tried to soothe her. She had never heard him purr before… he'd always been too afraid.

Marinette had caught that Adrien had called Bruce Alpha, and was hoping for the best at this point. It seemed the alpha had made a positive impression on Adrien. He was still wary, but the display at the airport went a long way to soothe his nerves. She knew Adrien was now very hopeful about this, so Marinette figured she could give it a shot as well.

_ “I’m still too nervous from the flight, silly kitten. I’ll sleep once we get settled in and make our nest,”  _ Marinette responded. “ _ You can go back to sleep though. I’ll be fine.” _

Adrien continued to purr and nuzzle his head into her shoulder until he drifted off to sleep once again. Marinette’s heart soared, feeling better than she had in weeks. She leaned her head against Adrien’s quietly and began to hum. She played with her friend’s hair, feeling herself finally relax. She could also feel Tikki nudging her leg through her purse, trying to provide her some comfort as well. She felt all the tension drift away from her body. Marinette finally allowed her eyes to drift towards the windows, watching as the buildings and city lights passed by. She allowed herself to be fixated on the setting sun, the way it painted the sky beautiful shades of red, orange and pink.

Marinette almost didn’t realize when they’d reached the manor until Alfred spoke up. She looked at the large, imposing Gothic looking building before her. It was gorgeous! Marinette’s head spun with all kinds of ideas and half baked plots on new designs before they’d even come to a complete stop. She heard Bruce chuckle and blushed, realizing the alpha could probably smell her excitement. 

She gently nuzzled Adrien until he lifted his head, looking at her with sleepy expression. 

“ _ Maaaariiiii, wanna go back to sleep,” _ he whined.

_ "You can go back to sleep once we've made our nest," _ she responded, excitement and anxiety creeping into her voice.  _ "We're here. We should help with our bags." _

Adrien seemed to snap to attention at hearing they'd arrived. He looked out the window to see the manor before his eyes turned cloudy. Marinette could only guess he was drawing comparisons to his childhood home. She nudged him with her elbow before reassuring him that this wasn't going to be like before. Marinette would make sure of that. She hadn't rescued Adrien for him to be locked up once more. 

He gave her an uneasy smile but got out of the car. Marinette followed in suit, keeping close to Adrien for support. The pair walked over to Bruce and Alfred. The alpha and beta smiled, handing the pair some of their bags. They grabbed them, pausing only when they heard the roar of an engine coming closer. They watched Bruce and Alfred’s expressions, waiting to see how they would react.

Marinette sniffed the air and caught a hint of leather and campfire smoke tinged with something unmistakably alpha. The dark haired girl turned her head to see a red motorcycle pull up into the driveway. The rider dismounted and began to walk towards them, setting Marinette’s nerves on edge. She quickly looked back to see Bruce moving to intercept the rider. Alfred had moved closer to Adrien in response as well.

The rider was at least six feet tall if Marinette had to hazard a guess. He was an alpha, and much like Bruce, appeared to be fit. He was wearing a black leather jacket, dark jeans and combat boots as well as a black helmet. Marinette was slightly anxious as she realized this stranger was taller and appeared to be buffer than Bruce. She nearly went to his side until she heard Bruce speak.

“Jason, when did you leave?”

“Couldn’t sleep, went for a ride,” the rider responded. “Who are they?”

“Take off the helmet, and I’ll introduce you.” 

The helmet came off, revealing one of the most handsome men Marinette had ever seen...and she was best friends with Adrien. She knew Adrien felt the same way and prayed that Alfred hadn’t heard him. She’d have to talk to Adrien later about that....but she doubted that either of the older men wanted to hear what he’d just said.

The man had a sharp jaw and his mouth was currently twisted into a frown. He had sharp, piercing green eyes that were currently focused on Bruce. They flickered back and forth from Bruce to the pair of them, clearly calculating something. His hair was pitch black except for a strip of hair towards the front that was white for whatever reason. He ran a hand through his hair before crossing his arms. At first his posture was tense until he got close enough to scent them.

Surprisingly, his arms fell to his side and his expression smoothed out.

“Bruce?” he asked, his low baritone voice sending shivers down Marinette’s spine. “Maybe we should go inside?”

“Jason-”

“...actually, Mr. Wayne, could we go inside? I really want to wash the scent masker off,” Adrien asked, drawing the two alphas attention to him.

Marinette watched the stranger, Jason’s, face shift to a look of confusion. She watched him glare at Bruce before walking over to Alfred. He held out his hands wordlessly, and Alfred handed him the bags. The alpha smiled before saying, “Alfred, you might want to get the others together for this. You know you’re the only one they’re gonna listen to. I’ll help take the bags in.”

“Thank you, Master Jason. Miss Marinette, Aiden, this is Jason Todd-Wayne. He will assist you, and if you have any issues, do not hesitate to tell me,” Alfred responded, looking between Jason, Marinette and Adrien. “Master Jason, do behave. They’ve had a long trip.”

“Will do, Alfred,” Jason responded. “Follow me, kiddos. High School Musical, Bruce will show you where the bathroom is. Cherry Vanilla, you’ll wait in the foyer with me while Alfred gathers the pack.”

Marinette glared at Jason for a moment at least until Adrien whimpered. Her best friend gave her a pleading look, begging her to be nice. She took a deep breath before looking Jason in the eye. She noted how the alpha was eyeing her critically, but didn’t attempt to establish dominance just yet.

“Are you deaf? My name is Marinette, not Cherry Vanilla,” she said coldly, “ and his name is Aiden.”

Marinette watched the alpha chuckle in amusement before responding, “Whatever, Cherry Vanilla. Let’s get inside.”

Marinette wanted to smack him, but Adrien hovered close by. She smiled reassuringly at her packmate. She wasn’t going to start a fight with him nearby. Goodness knows that the last thing Adrien needed was for Marinette to start arguing with the alpha. He’d just managed to get comfortable, and Marinette did not want to be the cause of any more distress.

She purred softly, allowing her scent to remain soft and calm. Marinette followed Bruce towards the manor, sending a look to Jason. She noted that Adrien was trailing behind her, giving Jason an apologetic look before trying to catch up to her.

What Marinette did miss was the look Jason gave her as he followed them inside.


	8. Jason Is Very Tired Of Bruce's Bullshit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason really wished Bruce would stop deciding things without talking to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals are over!!!!! Updates will still be a bit slower than normal due to the holidays, but I'm going to try my best.

Jason was getting really fucking tired of Bruce hiding shit from them.

All he wanted to do was escape from his nightmares of a little bit. So, he’d grabbed his motorcycle and went for a ride to clear his thoughts. Jason had expected to come home to Alfred cooking breakfast, and Bruce being his annoying self. Jason knew Dick would be the first to come down. He’d grab mugs for everyone so they could have their coffee. Damian would be down next. The little demon spawn would have his bagel and begrudgingly take the coffee cup that Dick gave him. Tim would be the last one down, if he came down at all, would immediately take the cup Dick held out and would try not to fall asleep in his oatmeal. 

Instead, he came home to see Bruce and Alfred along with two other people getting out of the car. Bruce and Alfred were taking bags out of the trunk, and the two kids had moved to take some of them. The one was a girl with dark black hair pulled into pigtails. The other was a boy with brown hair that Jason was pretty sure was dyed due to the blond peeking through. 

The girl instinctively moved closer to the boy the moment she realized he was there, putting herself between him and the boy. Jason then saw Bruce walk towards him and watched Alfred move closer to the boy as well. Jason walked up to Bruce, his eyes flickering back and forth between his adopted dad and the kids. He watched the girl tense up and look at Bruce with concern. He watched the girl rock on her heels, as if she were trying to decide what to do with herself. He noted that the boy seemed to freeze to his spot, though he wasn't sure if that was a fear response or not. 

Jason’s attention snapped back to Bruce when he spoke.

“Jason, when did you leave?”

“Couldn’t sleep, went for a ride,” Jason responded, his eyes darting to the kids. “Who are they?”

“Take off the helmet, and I’ll introduce you.”

Jason removed his helmet only to hear a soft voice whisper, _ “Oh God, he’s hot. Slip a collar on me and make me mewl, Daddy.” _

Jason’s eyes darted to the brunet boy, still behind the girl. He saw Alfred’s expression had turned into one of mortification. As he looked towards Bruce, he could also tell his old man really wished he hadn’t understood that. Jason stifled his laughter and locked his gaze onto Bruce as he continued to walk forward. He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation before crossing his arms.

It wasn't until he was about six feet away that he could smell the two newcomers. The girl smelled like vanilla bean ice cream with the scent of cherry blossoms mixed in. He noted she was a small omega, barely five feet tall. She was clad in a black jacket, white shirt with cherry blossoms on it, and pink jeans. Everything about her screamed tiny, but Jason could detect an underlying fierceness to her.

His hands fell to his side when he realized he couldn’t properly scent the boy. Some of the irritation he was feeling bled away as he realized why. The boy was wearing scent maskers. Strong ones too by the smell of it. Normally people didn’t use those without a reason, especially if they were omega. Masking their scent with an alpha scent that strong could make an omega extremely ill...

This clearly wasn’t a conversation for outside the manor.

“Bruce,” Jason said. “Maybe we should go inside?”

He almost laughed at how worried Bruce looked. The older alpha must have thought that Jason was going to give them a rough time. He watched as Bruce opened his mouth to argue, but then was cut off by the boy.

“...actually, Mr. Wayne, could we go inside? I really want to wash the scent masker off,” he asked, drawing Jason’s attention to him.

The boy was admitting that out in the open? Why on Earth would he do that? Especially in front of a strange Alpha? Was the kid dumb? Or was the kid trying to win him over? Jason wasn’t sure just yet, but he’d figure it out. He also began to wonder just what kind of trouble the pup was in for him to be wearing those.

Jason figured he wouldn’t be getting any answers standing outside, so he moved to help Alfred. He figured the two pups wouldn’t appreciate him offering help, so he held his hands out to the older beta. He took two suitcases from him before cracking a grin.

“Alfred, you might want to get the others together for this. You know you’re the only one they’re gonna listen to. I’ll help take the bags in,” he said.

“Thank you, Master Jason. Miss Marinette, Aiden, this is Jason Todd-Wayne. He will assist you, and if you have any issues, do not hesitate to tell me,” Alfred responded, looking between the three of them. “Master Jason, do behave. They’ve had a long trip.”

“Will do, Alfred,” Jason responded. “Follow me, kiddos. High School Musical, Bruce will show you where the bathroom is. Cherry Vanilla, you’ll wait in the foyer with me while Alfred gathers the pack.”

He noticed that the little omega was now glaring at him. He was forced to bite back laughter as he looked at her. Jason thought the kid was goddamn adorable. She had a sweet- looking face with big grey eyes that made her look younger than she probably was. Having her hair done up in pigtails certainly wasn't helping her case in Jason's humble opinion. Her cute button nose and freckles just sealed the deal. If Jason were any other alpha, he would have written her off as a non- threat. 

But Jason was not any other alpha.

He silently wondered for a moment if this omega would challenge him. Her entire body was coiled as if she were just waiting for the chance to lash out at him. Jason could also smell her irritation. He'd gotten her worked up something fierce over that nickname. She might just challenge him-

Then the boy behind her whimpered.

He watched Cherry Vanilla-Marinette as Alfred called her- look at the boy. The boy-Aiden- was giving her a pleading expression. Jason eyed them critically, trying to think back to his days in Crime Alley. This dynamic seemed very familiar to him, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He decided just to watch for now and wait to see what happened.

“Are you deaf? My name is Marinette, not Cherry Vanilla,” the little omega said coldly, “ and his name is Aiden.”

With a chuckle, Jason replied, “Whatever, Cherry Vanilla. Let’s get inside.”

Jason watched as the two communicated almost non-verbally. This meant they were most likely pack mates. Cherry Vanilla was the dominant one of the pack from what it appeared. The boy, regardless of secondary gender, appeared to be anxious. He could scent that much, even with the alpha musk twisting and souring the smell. 

He was taken by surprise when she started to purr. As far as he knew, there were only two reasons why an omega purred. They purred when they were safe, happy, and relaxed or when their pack mate or pup was distressed. Jason knew Cherry Vanilla wasn’t pleased with his nickname for her, so that left the second reason. He watched her glare at him again before following Bruce.

Jason watched as High School Musical waited for a moment. The kid gave Jason an apologetic look, as if trying to apologize for her. Jason gave him a grin back, causing High School Musical to blush and race after Cherry Vanilla. He followed them into the house, eyes focusing back on Cherry Vanilla, fixing her with an intrigued look.

From what Jason could tell, this omega didn’t seem to be afraid of any of them. High School Musical seemed to have more fear in him, and it made Jason curious. After all, these two must be important for Bruce to let them into the house with all the Bat Shenanigans going on. They could be a potential security risk...and yet there was something about them that Jason just couldn’t ignore. It was only a hunch, but Jason knew as soon as he told Tim, the other omega would find the dirt on them.

They weren’t trained, at least not professionally, but these kids had been through some shit. Cherry Vanilla was way too vigilant for a normal teenage girl. She watched from her peripheries constantly, like she expected someone to jump out of the shadows. Her grey eyes tracked them with intense accuracy, and Jason wouldn't lie about being impressed. 

The little omega also stayed close to her pack mate and was hyper-aware of any sounds he made. At the first sign of discomfort, CV (Jason needed to shorten that nickname) immediately stopped what she was doing to comfort him. She could tell from the slightest shift in posture, despite not being able to scent him properly. She was wound tight like a spring, ready to strike at any given moment. 

The boy seemed just as vigilant, silently watching them as well as his pack mate. He seemed tuned in to every change in her emotions from the changes in micro- expressions and slight differences in her scent. He kept himself close to her, eyeing her with clear worry. He didn't stray far from her after attempting to non-verbally apologize to Jason.

The boy seemed to be concerned about leaving her on her own. He had looked at her when Bruce tried to lead him away. He had smiled at her before murmuring in French that he was just going to wash the blockers off and then he'd be back. She didn't seem to like this situation, but let the boy follow Bruce.

Jason waited with CV, noting how wound up she was until Alfred reappeared with his brothers following. Tim had a smug grin on his face, and Jason made a mental note to hit him later. Little bastard knew they were coming and didn't bother to share? Unforgivable. 

Dick looked confused, looking between Tim, Alfred, and CV. The older alpha looked at Jason for answers, but he shrugged and said, "Unless Timmy-boy here wants to explain he can. Otherwise, we have to wait for Bruce."

Tim shook his head before responding, "Might as well wait. We still need Demon Spawn-" 

A loud crash interrupted Tim, and everyone turned to the source of the sound...one very upset and embarrassed Damian Wayne.


	9. Damian's Not Having a Good Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian meets Marinette. He freaks out a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live! Thanks for sticking with me! I'm sorry this took so long. I hope you enjoy the next segment!

Damian couldn't fucking believe it. 

He'd fallen down the stairs. 

He–Damian al Guhl Wayne– had tripped on his own two feet and fallen down the stairs. If his mother could see him, Talia would have been severely disappointed in him. al Guhls did **not** trip over nothing. The only reason he should be falling was if an enemy caught the drop on him or if he wished to fall. 

His stupid body didn't seem to agree at the moment. 

Especially not while he was staring at the most beautiful set of grey eyes he’d ever had the privilege to see.

"Mate, mate, mate! Found her! Found her!" The hind part of his brain seemed to be screaming. 

He looked from his position on the floor at those beautiful grey filled with apprehension and concern. He bit back a whine as he felt a small, soft hand touch his. Every nerve in his body felt like it was going haywire as the girl asked him if he was all right. Damian's mouth refused to function as he stared up at the beautiful angel in front of him. He accepted her help, brushing off his knees. He tried to swallow but found his mouth was completely dry. 

She was as sweet looking as she smelled. 

The girl was inches shorter than Damian with silky black hair that looked almost blue in a certain light. Her big grey eyes were focused on him, and she was biting her lower lip. She seemed reluctant to let him go, and Damian subconsciously registered that she scanned him for injuries. 

"Are you all right?" she asked, her soprano voice soft. "That was quite a fall you had."

Damian nodded wordlessly, trying to ignore the incredulous stares of his siblings and Alfred. He could hear Dick quietly muttering about how he couldn't possibly be Damian as Damian did NOT TRIP. He felt Jason's smug stare, and it appeared Tim was now taking notes. Damian considered going after them until the little omega smiled at him. His irritation and anger seemed to fade the second she looked at him, filling his chest with a strange feeling of warmth and comfort.

"Okay, but let us know if there's any pain later, " she said. "My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Marinette… her name was Marinette. He moved closer to her, wanting for whatever reason to keep her by his side. He felt the desire to hold her close, to scent her neck. _ Oh God, what was WRONG WITH HIM?! Was the Scarecrow up to something? Ivy? Had he been dosed with something on patrol? He shouldn't give two shits about this girl. She was a stranger in his pack's territory. He should be furious! He shouldn't be flustered and tongue tied— _

Damian's internal dilemma was interrupted by a new scent filling his nose. It almost overwhelmed him because the person quite literally shoved himself between Damian and Marinette. The brunet pushed back hard on his chest, sending him stumbling. Damian managed to stay on his feet this time, but he was pissed.

Damian snarled and charged at the brunet… only to feel himself receive a swift kick to the gut. Then small hands grabbed his arm, he felt himself go airborne. He hit the ground with a resounding thud, and felt his arm being twisted. 

He looked up to see the pretty omega holding his arm in a surprisingly _ tight _ grip. Her eyes were narrowed, anger flashing dangerously. She was now snarling at him, and her fangs were bared. Damian now noticed the stranger was behind Marinette. He winced slightly before Alfred finally came to help him. 

"Miss Marinette, please let go of Master Damian. He will not hurt your packmate," the beta requested.

Damian felt a hand, from experience he knew was Jason's, drag him back by the collar as soon as Marinette released his arm. He looked up at the older alpha, who looked angry for only a moment before switching to confusion. Jason's scent had changed as well, setting Damian's nerves on edge. 

He looked to see both Dick and Tim looking at him with concern as well. Damian shook himself free of Jason's grip before snarling at Bruce.

"Why are they here?"

Damian's eyes returned to Marinette, only to see that her hackles were raised again. His instincts were conflicted, as his training demanded he figure out why they were here, and his other half demanded he stop upsetting the sweet smelling omega. He scented the air again quickly, only for his stomach to sink. 

Oh.

Well that would explain why she was so furious with him. 

Damian turned his attention back to his father, who was giving him a half-concerned, half-furious look. He felt embarrassment flare up again as he acknowledged to himself that he'd lost control of himself. He hadn't done anything like that since his first years at the manor...

"Damian, if you can't control yourself, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Bruce said, voice leaving no room for argument.

The youngest Wayne took quick stock of himself. Clearly something was very wrong with him. First, he'd fallen down the stairs. Second, he'd been tongue-tied by an absolute stranger who was invading his home. Third, he had thought of Marinette for a brief second as a mate, and Damian had no idea where that thought came from. 

Then there was the whole wanting to be close and making sure she wasn't sad…

Damian made the executive decision to remove himself from the room immediately. The youngest alpha was so preoccupied with just what could be happening to him that he didn't even notice Alfred following close behind him. 

————————

Alfred had only an idea of what was going on, but he knew his first priority was to calm the young Wayne down. He’d seen the panic in the young boy’s eyes as he fled the room. If Alfred was correct, then he was certain that Damian was probably very confused and afraid. After all, he was his father’s son, and neither of them were good at dealing with conflicting or sudden emotions. It would be up to him to sort things out. 

The Englishman waited until Damian had sequestered himself in the cave before trying to talk with him.

“Master Damian—”

“Not now, Alfred! Something’s wrong with me! I need to check and make sure I didn’t come into contact with any toxins—”

“Master Damian, did you find her scent appealing?” Alfred asked patiently. “Was she distracting to you? When you looked at her eyes, did you feel like something clicked? Like a piece that was missing was finally found?”

Alfred watched as Damian froze before twirling around to look at the butler. His green eyes narrowed, and the boy glared at him. Damian demanded to know what Alfred was talking about. He noticed the pup’s hackles were raised now, and the boy’s scent was soured with discomfort.

“Once, when I was a young man, I went to Paris. While there, I befriended a local baker, named Rolland. He made some of the most exquisite baked goods. He even taught me some of his tips and tricks. We became very close, best friends you could say. We were out at some of the bars in France when we stumbled across a particular woman.

Her name was Gina. She was gorgeous and delightfully witty. She had been turning down man after man all night, but for whatever reason, Rolland felt like he had to go talk to her. I asked him why, and he told me she was the sweetest scent he’d ever smelled. I found this odd. I didn’t think she smelled bad, but it wasn’t enough to make me want to risk my pride to go talk to her.

Rolland did, and when their eyes met, Gina immediately invited him to sit down. I was baffled. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it,” Alfred said slowly.

He watched as Damian’s eyes widened for a moment. The pup’s posture relaxed slightly, but he was still watching the beta intently. Alfred continued his tale, telling Damian about Rolland and Gina. He told him what the trio had discovered that Rolland and Gina were soulmates upon further research. According to their research, when soulmates were within the vicinity of one another, their scents would become more powerful to attract the soulmate’s attention. The soulmate’s scent would be the best smelling thing to the other, and it would continue to help lead the soulmates to one another. The connection wouldn’t make sense or be realized until they looked one another in the eyes.

“I have not felt it, as it’s rare to have a soulmate, but Rolland explained it to me the best he could. He told me that the second he saw Gina’s eyes, everything clicked together. He felt like Gina completed what was already there,” Alfred said. “What just happened...it seemed a lot like what I saw with you just now.”

Damian looked conflicted at this news. The pup was fidgeting now, and his scent was still sour with stress.

“...but what about all of this?” Damian asked, uncharacteristically quiet and timid as he gestured to the cave. “Doesn’t all of this...doesn’t it put her...I mean I can’t just tell her I’m Robin…”

“How about we slow down a moment?” Alfred said softly. “You just met her, after all. You don’t need to rush into anything. I just wanted to let you know that nothing was wrong with you. Why don’t we go back upstairs? Perhaps we can apologize?”

He nodded before allowing the butler to lead him upstairs.

———————————

Marinette rubbed her hands against her cheeks as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Adrien’s scent was almost overwhelming now, as the other was crowding her space. He was talking at a mile a minute. He was looking over her, checking for any injuries. Not finding any, he simply held her tightly and rocked her back and forth. Marinette had managed to wiggle out of his grip. She pushed her packmate away from her before taking a deep breath.

“Mari! Mari! You’re not paying attention again!” Adrien whined. “Are you okay? Are you sick? You weren’t responding to me and then that alpha got really close to you. He was trying to scent your neck, and you don’t let anyone do that! What happened?”

Marinette shook her head before clapping her hand over his mouth.

“Adrien, I love you, but shut up, _ please _!” she sighed. “I need to think about this!”

The dark haired girl rubbed her temples before closing her eyes. She had no idea what was going on either. What was that? What had just happened? Who was that? She wasn’t shaking. She wasn’t afraid. Honestly, she hadn’t felt threatened until Adrien had shoved himself between them. The alpha had snarled at Adrien, and Marinette had felt her instincts scream to protect her packmate no matter what. Something...something about it felt familiar though. Marinette decided to run through the facts before trying to make sense of this.

His scent was different than everyone else’s. She was more attracted to the scent than she was to anyone else’s. His scent had been stronger than everyone else’s. Once he had made eye contact with Marinette, something in her heart seemed to warm. It was like being covered in a warm blanket after being left out in the snow. She felt...like...like she’d found the person that would make things perfect.

Her eyes snapped open as she recalled a story her papa had told her time and time again. How he’d met her maman. How he knew she was the one for him. How he knew that no matter what anyone else thought, Sabine was his mate and they would be married. When Marinette had asked what his parents thought, Tom had told her that once he told them, his parents had told him about how they met. 

Every time Marinette had gotten sad about a crush not working out, her nonna Gina would laugh and tell her her time would come. Gina had always said that their family was extremely lucky in love. That somehow, they always found their soulmates— 

Marinette’s jaw dropped and her cheeks flushed. She grabbed Adrien by the shoulders, locking eyes with her best friend, before blurting, “Mon Dieu, Chaton, that alpha is my soulmate!”

“...uh, Bruce? Timmy? You might want to start with the explanations now.”

Marinette’s head whipped around to look at the speaker, finally remembering that she was not alone with Adrien. A dark haired man with bright blue eyes, slightly shorter than Jason and appearing more lean, was looking between Bruce and another person. The other man was shorter than Jason and the speaker, his hair slightly longer. He was much leaner than everyone else and had grey-blue eyes. He looked utterly exhausted, but also extremely surprised. 

She could feel Adrien’s hand rub her back soothingly as Bruce coughed into his fist.

“Yes, I believe getting introductions out of the way would be a good place to pick up,” he said, looking at his sons.

The expression on the one man’s face told Marinette that she wasn’t going to enjoy this.

At all.


	10. Tim Feels Bad, and Bruce Worries More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim thinks maybe he made a mistake. Bruce isn't sure what just happened and is still worried.

Tim now felt like a huge asshole.

He tried to remind himself that he never could have calculated that Miss Dupain-Cheng would be Damian’s soulmate. If he had been able, he would have actually done some planning. Tim had wanted his brothers to be taken by surprise, but not like this. He’d nearly had a heart attack when it looked like Damian was going to go after Adrien. Marinette taking him down hadn’t eased his feelings of anxiety. None of the Batboys had ever seen Damian like this before, and they knew their pup was rather upset.

The only thing keeping Tim from running after his youngest brother was the fact that Alfred had followed him. Alfred would surely be able to calm down their youngest, and he’d probably bring Damian back and have him apologize to Marinette and Adrien. He turned his attention to his other two brothers. He could tell Dick was just more confused than before. He wasn’t entirely sure what Jason was feeling at the moment, as he’d gone from angry to calm rather quickly.

When Dick asked if he or Bruce could start explaining, Tim’s face scrunched up. Oh boy, this was going to be _ so fun _ to explain to his overprotective alpha brothers. He took a deep breath before walking over to stand near Marinette and Adrien. He caught Marinette’s eye and saw her face scrunch up in displeasure. He wanted to tell her that she had no idea what Alfred had gotten her into. Tim held out his hand to Marinette before smiling at her with the most welcoming grin he could muster.

“Hi, I’m Timothy Drake-Wayne,” he greeted. “I’m the only other omega in the house, so if you have any questions as to where certain things might be or where to get something, I can help. I also managed to figure out you were coming and why. If you need me to take care of these idiots, I’ll be more than happy to help.”

Marinette smiled shyly before shaking his hand.

“Hi, I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng...but I guess you already knew that...and this is—”

“Hi, I’m Adrien,” the brunet broke in, taking Tim’s hand from Marinette. “It’s nice to know they’ll be another omega around.”

Tim turned to Jason. The tallest of the alpha shrugged before saying he met them when he came home from his ride. He then told his brother the only thing he didn’t know was why the two were here. This made Dick throw his arms in the air before exclaiming, “Am I the last to know?!”

“No, Dick. You AND Damian were the last to know,” Tim said with a shrug. “Jason would have been in the same boat had he not gone out for a ride.”

Dick said that this was unacceptable before nudging Tim aside so he could great the two newcomers. The man smiled brightly at the two before holding out his hand and saying, “Hello! I’m Richard Grayson-Wayne, but please call me Dick. I hope you will excuse my youngest brother. He’s not exactly what we call a people person, but he’s a good kid once you get to know him.”

Marinette and Adrien both smiled and greeted Dick. Tim noted that the Parisians had begun to hold hands. They seemed to be putting on a collective positive front, but Tim noticed they were tense. Understandable, from what he knew, Marinette had been attacked by classmates several times before coming to stay with them. 

Tim then turned his attention to his adopted father before saying, "I know why Marinette's here, but why is Adrien here? Your files didn't say much about him."

He really didn't like the face Bruce made in response. 

———————-

Bruce was debating how much to tell his children when Tim asked him why Adrien was here.

On the one hand, he wanted his pack to be fully aware of the situation. If they all knew what was going on, they'd be able to help him protect the pups. He knew his birds wouldn't turn them out. Bruce was fairly certain Dick would dote on them the second he was finished with the explanation. 

Dick was one of the most emotionally stable members of the BatClan… even if he was terribly dramatic about things. 

On the other hand, this wasn't his story to tell. The pups were standing right there, and Bruce was sure they'd want their privacy to remain intact. He wasn't sure if he should tell the boys or wait for Marinette and Adrien to tell them. Bruce didn't want them to feel like he was going to be anything like Gabriel.

Marinette, bless her heart, was the one to break the silence.

_ "Kitty? Kitty, do you want me to tell them anything?" _she asked her packmate quietly. 

Adrien looked at Marinette and Bruce before tightening his grip on the girl's hand. 

_ "...not everything," _ he replied quietly. _ "...not ready to… not ready to talk about the rest." _

Bruce looked at Marinette for a moment before asking her what she'd like to do. He watched the little pup's shoulders slump. She looked so tired, and it grated on Bruce's instincts. She was now under his protection, and he wanted to do nothing more than let her build her nest so she could sleep. 

"... could you explain?" Marinette finally asked. 

Bruce gave her a soft smile before telling her that he would be glad to. 

"Miss Marinette is the granddaughter of dear friends of Alfred," Bruce began, fixing Tim with a look that said 'I know you know, but your brothers don't so shush'. "She's been having some difficulty at school with a pathological liar and incompetent school staff. Alfred agreed to take her in so she could get out of a very toxic environment—"

"When you say toxic—" Dick said slowly. 

"They stole her property, accused her of crimes without proof, and attempted to assault or did assault her on several occasions," Tim cut in. "The school did nothing about any of it, so of course Bruce took her in when Alfred asked."

Bruce looked at Marinette, noting her scent was souring with stress. He noticed Adrien had her leaning into him for support. Both were purring, clearly trying to soothe one another. It made Bruce's worry ease slightly, happy with the knowledge that at least this packmate was willing to give back what Marinette gave so freely. 

"As for Adrien, it has been brought to my attention that not only has the school failed Marinette, but him as well," Bruce continued. "Marinette pointed out that Gabriel Agreste— most certainly by our legal standards—is extremely abusive. Don't ask me how, and don't ask Adrien how. He isn't ready to discuss that with us yet."

"... so you kidnapped Gabriel Agreste's son. That's what your telling us. You kidnapped a kid, and that's why he's got a fake name to go by in public. And why his hair is dyed brown," Jason responded.

He was silent for a moment before shrugging and saying, "That tracks. You basically did the same thing to me, Timmy, and Cass once you realized our parents were assholes too."

Bruce glared at his second oldest before Jason replied, "Am I wrong? Look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong."

Dick, occasionally sensible Dick, interrupted before he and Jason could start arguing.

"What would you like us to call you while you're in the manor? Adrien or your fake name?" he asked kindly. "And Bruce, are their rooms ready? They both look exhausted, and I'm sure they've had enough excitement for today."

Bruce watched Adrien respond almost immediately to the tone of his eldest's voice. The pup's posture had straightened significantly. Bruce took note that Adrien's expression was full of tentative hope as he answered Dick instead of fear. 

"Adrien, please," the pup told them. "I'm only going to use Aiden at school or out in public. Do we have separate rooms?"

"If you're comfortable being in separate rooms," Bruce told them. "Otherwise, you and Marinette are welcome to pick a room to nest in."

The pair looked at one another before asking if they could go to their room. Bruce responded with a smile before asking Tim if he could lead them to the spare room. Bruce waited until Tim had lead the pair away before turning on his two eldest sons.

"I expect you two to watch after them while they're out and about, especially you, Jason—"

Jason looked like he was about to protest before Bruce cut him off.

"Let me finish, Jason. It seems you and Miss Marinette have something in common, and that would be your willingness to do anything to protect the people you care about. Alfred and I have observed that there is a high chance Marinette will put herself in any danger to protect her packmate. People underestimate her because she's small and an omega. 

People won't do that to you or Dick. You've already proven yourself to Gotham, but these two will look like easy targets. I don't want this happening to them. They've been through enough," Bruce said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

"How bad?" Dick asked quietly. "You don't need to give details for that answer."

Bruce remained silent for a moment before responding, "Alfred had his gun loaded and ready… and I was sorely tempted to let him use it. Clark had to calm us both down."

He knew he had said enough when both of his pups looked at him in shock. Dick's expression was one of deep concern and contemplation. Jason's eyes had taken on that feral gleam Bruce knew too well. He reminded both of them sternly not to crowd their new house guests. 

Bruce turned away from them and headed towards the cave without another word. He needed to speak with Damian about what the hell had just happened between him and Marinette. 

Hopefully, Alfred knew what was going on because honestly?

Bruce was completely clueless when it came to soulmates.


	11. Marinette and Adrien Pull in Tim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim's not sure how things got to this point. Marinette adopts another omega.

Tim was uncertain how he ended up in this position, but his instincts were telling him to be content — in complete contrast with his thoughts.

The second the trio made it into the guest room, Marinette had begun to nest. She and Adrien began to rearrange things, pull out their blankets and pillows, and built a nest. Tim ended up getting roped into the construction, assisting in getting them more blankets and pillows. Tim hadn’t even realized he was helping them until Adrien tentatively asked him to help rearrange some pillows that weren’t quite right.

“Oh...OH! Is this okay?” Tim asked, looking at the younger omegas. “This is your nest—”

“Our nest,” Marinette corrected firmly. “And yes, you can help arrange it. You could grab some of your stuff if you want and add it too.”

The dark haired teen looked at her in confusion. His brow furrowed before asking the serious looking omega what she meant. This was her and Adrien’s room. This was their nest. What did Marinette mean by this is ‘our’ nest? Was she including him? It was strange enough that she was sharing a nest with Adrien, but to include him? His omega father never let him nest with him, and they were blood related! Why would they share their nest with a stranger— 

Tim’s frantic thoughts and anxiety were cut off by purring and a hesitant touch to his shoulder.

He looked to see Adrien’s hand touching his shoulder. The younger boy’s expression was timid and cautious. His sandalwood and cotton scent was soft, almost comforting to Tim. It was clear that he was waiting to see if the older omega was comfortable with receiving comfort before trying to get any closer. He’d seen Jason do something similar, waiting until it was clear that Tim was okay with being touched and fussed over. 

Marinette was eyeing him in a concerned manner, but seemed to relax when Tim allowed Adrien to move closer. The younger boy pressed into his side, purring louder now, nuzzling Tim’s shoulder with his cheek. Tim felt himself begin to melt into the younger’s side as Marinette scooched over to them.

“Tim… you  _ do _ realize you’re welcome here, right? This is our nest,” she said softly. “You can come and rest here when you want or need to.”

“But this is your nest—”

“No buts! You’re an omega too, therefore, you have a right to the pack nest,” Marinette said, her voice becoming firm once again. “Have you eaten yet? Slept? Do you even have a properly constructed nest?!”

Tim blinked slowly in confusion, unsure how to react to Marinette. His father never showed him how to nest...he kind of had to figure that out on his own. He really didn’t have a solid nest either as he went from place to place due to his activities as Red Robin and occasionally personal shit between him and Bruce.

Tim felt himself being pulled down to lay on the mattress, sandalwood and cotton filling his nose. He looked to see Adrien curling up next to him with a yawn. Marinette grabbed a blanket and draped it over them. She shot him a stern look when he tried to get up, and Adrien let out a whine in complaint.

“You look exhausted. You didn’t answer any of my questions,” Marinette began, “and you clearly aren’t going to use the nest unless we show you it’s okay as our fellow omega for you to be here. You’re staying. Don’t. Move.”

Tim obeyed. He still wasn’t sure if this was okay, but Marinette and Adrien seemed determined to have him stay in the nest. Marinette immediately fussed over both of the boys, brushing their hair out of their faces and making sure they had enough covers. As soon as she was content, she joined them under the covers, snuggling up against Tim’s other side. The older omega was now well trapped in between the two younger omegas and was surprised to realize that he actually didn’t mind. 

His exhaustion began to rear its ugly head as he got comfortable. His eyelids fluttered a few times before he allowed them to close. He could vaguely hear someone singing before he drifted off to sleep.

———————————-

Marinette watched quietly as Tim’s face went slack and his breathing evened out.

Adrien was already fast asleep on Tim’s other side, finally feeling relaxed and safe. Tim’s scent had evened out too, no longer bitter with stress. Marinette gently nosed Tim’s shoulder taking in his scent. Tim smelt like coffee and fresh mint leaves, almost making Marinette think of a mint flavored coffee. She mentally recapped the scents she’d encountered, trying to organize them while adding Tim’s to her inventory.

Earl Gray and books? Alfred-Beta- Grandfather/Friend

Pine and lemon? Bruce- Alpha (Head)- Friendly (?)

Campfire and leather? Jason- Alpha- Friendly (?)

Eucalyptus and juniper? Dick- Alpha- Friendly (?)

Cinnamon and amber? Her soulmate- Alpha- Unknown

She questioned her soulmate’s — Damian, if she recalled correctly — position for a few moments. If they were soulmates, then he shouldn’t be a threat. However, he had also tried to attack Adrien, her packmate. They had just met though, so perhaps it was a misunderstanding? Or was he someone that she wouldn’t want? Not all soulmates were good, and not all soulmates got together. Marinette decided to let things be and decide tomorrow where she should put him.

Which brought her thoughts back to her newest scent, coffee and mint, Tim’s scent.

The older omega really didn’t seem to have a solid idea of how to nest. He moved mostly on instinct, but didn’t seem to know his own preferences or needs in a nest well. When Adrien had asked him for help, and Tim became uncomfortable, she grew worried. Did he not have any other omegas in his life? Bruce said he was adopted, but wasn’t at least one person in his biological family an omega? Her father was an alpha and her mother a beta, but her mother had several omega cousins and her grandpa Rolland was an omega. 

When Marinette had started showing signs of being an omega, Sabine had immediately contacted her omega family members. They helped Sabine and Tom with assisting Marinette into adjusting to her secondary gender. She’d had support from the omega members of her family pack. 

Tim was more like Adrien, who at times was unable to accept that he deserved to have an omega pack, and she was determined to fix that. It appeared the only thing Adrien had over Tim was the fact his mother used to nest with him, so Adrien had no problem nesting with the other omega. Tim had seemed very uncertain and uncomfortable until they showed him that they didn’t have an issue with him being in the nest. Once he relaxed, Tim had fallen fast asleep.

Marinette continued to sing the Chinese lullaby from her mother as she tried to make herself comfortable. There was too much for her to think about with her soulmate, being around strange alphas, a clearly undersocialized omega, and her own issues. She forced herself to shove those thoughts to the back of her mind.

Tikki and Plagg quietly came out of their respective hiding places. Plagg floated down to rest beside Adrien, happy his Kit now felt safe enough to rest easy. Tikki gently rested on Marinette’s head before quietly asking her what was wrong.

“...Tikki, I want to trust Tim,” Marinette replied quietly. “Something in my gut is telling me to...but I’m afraid. I shouldn’t trust him, Tikki. I just met him. I have no idea what he’s like…I don’t know if he’ll keep our secret.”

“Marinette, Master Fu trusted you with the miracle box. He knew you had that special spark needed to be a Guardian. If you trust him, then trust yourself, Marinette,” the little goddess whispered. “Plagg and I will be here for you and Adrien no matter what. Now get some rest. I’ll watch over things for now.”

Marinette smiled before allowing herself to curl up.

“Thanks, Tikki,” she yawned. “Let me know if anything happens.”

“I will! Sleep tight, Marinette.”

With that, Marinette closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. 

——————---

Damian’s head hung low as he ran into his father in the hall. He could hear Alfred explaining what happened to Bruce, but that didn’t stop the younger alpha from feeling ashamed. Bruce had probably been expecting him and his brothers to at the very least not threaten their guests. Even Jason had behaved better than him, and that was just unacceptable.

The anxiety clawed at his throat as he waited for his father to turn his attention to him. Damian was still uncertain what he wanted to do about all of this. Soulmates could be potentially hazardous. He could be putting her in danger...especially if she knew about Robin. Could he knowingly put a civilian in that position? Would she even want to be with him if she knew he was a vigilante? Would she want him after his history came out? Honestly, Damian wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t want him for the simple fact that he’d tried to attack her packmate.

Did he want a soulmate?

Did he want to love this girl?

Did he want to get to know her?

Damian really wasn’t sure.

The youngest Wayne was so lost in thought that he didn’t even realize his brother had come up behind him. The next thing he knew, he was in a headlock, which didn’t help his sense of shame. His green eyes darted up sharply to look at his big brother. Jason looked down at him as he gave Damian a noogie before saying, “Get out of your head, Hell Spawn. She didn’t seem too pissed at you, so you might still have a chance to win her over. Cherry Vanilla went with Timmy and High School Musical to go set up their nest.”

“...she’s not mad?”

Damian nearly flinched upon seeing the shocked looks of Dick and Jason. Neither of the older alphas had ever heard their littlest alpha sound so timid before. Jason looked uncomfortable for a moment before locking eyes with Dick. He nodded before looking back down at Damian.

“Hell Spawn? Why don’t you and Dickie talk this out? I’ll keep the old men busy,” he said with a grin before walking towards Bruce and Alfred.

While Damian would rather die than admit it, he did appreciate what Jason was trying to do. It was something Jason and Damian had in common— neither cared to talk about difficult emotions and would sooner lash out than admit things. Jason recognized that he couldn’t help alleviate Damian’s fears, but he knew from experience that Dick could.

Dick put a comforting hand on Damian’s shoulder before pulling him off to the side. 

“C’mon Baby Bat,” he said quietly. “Let’s go talk somewhere quiet, okay?”

Damian nodded and followed his brother out of the cave.


	12. Dick and Damian Chat, Bruce is happy but confused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Damian have a heart-to-heart.
> 
> Bruce is confused by his kids, but he's happy they seem to be getting along.

Dick curled protectively around his youngest brother. The little alpha was currently balled up in his brother’s blanket, his scent sour with distress. He gently rubbed Damian’s arm before telling the pup to take his time. He knew Damian would tell him eventually, so Dick was in no rush. He nuzzled the back of the pup’s head, trying to let his scent come out as soothing and not overpowering.

It seemed to work as Damian relaxed into his brother’s hold. The little alpha sniffed before saying, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, let’s start with this,” Dick said softly. “How do you feel?”

Damian whimpered, twisting uncomfortably. His older brother nudged him again, reminding Damian that he couldn’t face the problem without first admitting his feelings. 

“...I’m afraid...uncertain...and uncomfortable. Alfred explained that I wasn’t sick...but I felt so out of control when I first saw her. I wanted to scent her  _ so bad _ , Dick. It’s like I couldn’t control myself. Then I almost attacked her packmate, made her angry at me, and made father upset too. I just...I didn’t want to be away from her.

My…my training says I should be suspicious of her. I shouldn’t want her close. I shouldn’t want to make sure she’s calm. I shouldn’t care whether or not she hates me, but that’s all I can think about! I want to make her smile. I wanted to make her happy.”

Dick listened to his brother before patting him on the back.

“You feel like this is out of your control and that scares you because you’re not used to things being that way. Your mind is going one way, and your instincts are going in another. That’s adding to the confusion. Am I right so far,” Dick recapped, wanting to make sure he was following his little brother.

“Yeah...I mean, Alfred said the more time we spend together, the more the instincts will go down...but what if they don’t? What if they just get worse? What if...what if I’m like my mother...what if I get it in my head to let my instincts take charge and take what I want?”

Dick felt his heart plummet into his stomach as he sat up. He grabbed his little brother’s shoulders before forcing the little alpha to look at him.

“Damian, I want you to look me in the eyes. The fact that you’re worried about this means you’re nothing like your mother. You won’t do that. You’re a stronger, better, and kinder person than your mother could ever hope to be,” the older alpha said firmly. “You will be able to face your instincts, and you will be able to control yourself. The most important thing I want to know is whether or not you  _ want _ to have a soulmate. You don’t have to date her. We can give you guys suppressants if that’s what it takes. We’ll make it work.”

Damian hugged his brother tightly, feeling some of the tension and fear drain out of him. He allowed Dick to hold him, letting the older alpha play with his hair. As Damian relaxed, he muttered into Dick’s shoulder, “What if I want to try? She seemed...nice.”

“Then we’ll help you with that too, Baby Bat. I’m sure Marinette isn’t too angry. Things got a little confusing with the whole soulmate bonding stuff, and now that we’ve all figured it out, it should be okay,” he soothed. “But you’re going to need to apologize before all that. Can you do that?”

Damian pulled away from Dick and looked up at his big brother. The older alpha noted how panicked and tense the little alpha was, and he tried to figure out what was making him upset. Did he not know how to apologize to her? Did he not want to? What was going on in that head of his?

“Dames?”

“What about Robin?”

Dick fell silent as he looked down at the fidgeting pup. Damian did have a point. Neither Adrien nor Marinette knew that the entire Wayne Pack were secretly vigilantes. It was a massive secret to keep from the two but a very necessary one. If Damian and Marinette were to date, there was a real risk of the little omega discovering that Damian was Robin. How would the Parisian take that? Would she still want to date him after discovering he was Robin? What kind of risk would that put Marinette in?

“What about Robin?” Dick asked quietly.

“I— I can’t just put her at risk like that, can I? Do I tell her? Do I lie? Do I try and protect her? Do I leave her be? I mean, if I date Marinette, she could be put in danger. Do I risk that?” Damian said, his voice cracking with uncertainty. 

“...I wish there was an easy way to answer that, Baby Bat. In the end, it’s up to you and her. If you find that you’re serious about her, I’d suggest telling her. If not, don’t. But what happens after you tell her is up to Marinette. Who knows? Maybe she will want to take the risk. Maybe she won’t. If it’s meant to be, Baby Bat, it will be,” Dick said.

Damian leaned into Dick’s shoulder again, taking comfort in his brother’s presence. He thought about it for a few more moments. He did mean it. Marinette was so nice to him when he fell down the steps. She was also quick to defend her packmates from any threats. Damian felt himself starting to blush as he thought about the pretty omega. She was tough and beautiful. What more could he want?

He took a deep breath before looking up at Dick.

“How do I apologize?”

Dick smiled brightly before saying, “I think we should ask Alfred for that info. What do you say?”

“I’d say, let’s go ask Alfred.”

—————

Bruce was so confused.

First, his youngest finds his soulmate and then attacks her packmate.

Then, Alfred tells him that was a normal alpha reaction and explains the entire thing as he knows it to him.

Jason walks over and begins asking Alfred thirty-questions, allowing Dick to slip away with Damian. Jason and Alfred talk for a while until Jason says he’s starting to get hungry. Alfred and Jason head to the kitchen, where Jason is indoctrinated into helping prepare breakfast.

Dick and Damian join them about twenty minutes later. Dick begins assisting Jason happily while Damian is talking to Alfred. Bruce is astonished to hear that Damian’s actually looking for a way to  _ apologize _ to Marinette. Damian began to help Alfred bake something, and Bruce assumed that was going to be his attempt to apologize to Marinette.

The other odd thing was the fact Tim was nowhere to be found. It wouldn’t have taken Tim all that long to show Marinette and Adrien to their room. He should have returned to the rest of the pack by now. Bruce told Alfred that he was going to check on Tim. The alpha left his confusing packmates in the kitchen to go see what his other pup was up to.

Bruce remained quiet as he walked towards Marinette and Adrien’s room. He scented the air, noting that Tim’s scent was mixed in with Marinette and Adrien’s. He gently knocked on the door before opening it slowly. His alpha instincts purred in contentment at the sight before him.

Laying in a well constructed nest was his pack’s three omegas. Tim was squished in between the two Parisian omegas, but he didn’t seem to mind at all. He was fast asleep, perfectly relaxed and calm. Adrien was snuggled against Tim’s right side. The brunet omega had his head on Tim’s shoulder, one arm slung over Tim’s waist, fingers entwined with Marinette’s. 

The head omega herself was fast asleep as well. She was purring happily, holding Adrien’s hand and holding Tim’s one arm. They were all snuggled up under a very warm blanket. Everyone was comfortable and feeling safe which satisfied Bruce’s need to provide a safe environment for his omegas.

Bruce slowly closed the door, not wanting to disturb them. He smiled, thinking about the scene back in the kitchen. Damian was actually going to apologize. Tim was sleeping. Jason was laughing and cooking with Dick. Dick was just happy that all of them were together and feeling okay. Everyone was content for now, and Bruce felt confident that he was doing the right thing.


	13. Gabe, Tim, and the Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel discovers he's been deceived. 
> 
> Tim is brought into the loop.

Things were too quiet.

Gabriel was used to the house being quiet, but not this silent. His son — the useless child — should have come back by now. It had been almost two weeks after all. The pup should have come crawling back to him and apologizing to him. He should have been begging Gabriel to forgive him for being useless and promise to do whatever his father asked of him to make up for it. If there was one thing Gabriel knew, it was that his pup did not like the quiet for too long. His pup could not handle the isolation, so Adrien would do whatever Gabriel pleased in order to be allowed contact with others.

He turned his attention towards his assistant, Nathalie. A slight twinge of guilt went through him as he realized the pale woman was still resting. Using the peacock miraculous had really taken a toll on her as it had done Emilie. If they were not careful, Nathalie would waste away before he could revive Emilie. If that happened, then Gabriel would not be able to trade the beta’s life for his omega wife.

The alpha snarled at the thought of losing Emilie permanently. That could NOT be allowed to pass. Especially now that the worthless pup had presented as an omega like his mother. He needed another heir, and Emilie had to be the one to provide it. In order for her to give him another pup, he needed to revive her first.

Which meant he needed to defeat Ladybug and Chat Noir.

He’d akumatize his son, but the boy was such a disappointment that Gabriel was certain Adrien would only disappoint him further.

Perhaps he could irritate Laurent enough to bring back Gorizilla?

“Laurent! Laurent, I need you to come to my study immediately,” he called the alpha bodyguard over the loudspeakers.

He waited a few moments before calling for the bodyguard again. After twenty minutes, the alpha became incensed. How dare that ogre ignore him! He worked for HIM. Gabriel could have him thrown out on the streets any time he pleased! The only reason that stupid man even had a job with the Agreste family was because Emilie had insisted!

He stormed out of his office, screaming for the other man. Laurent wasn’t in the lobby. He walked through the halls of his house, still screaming the other alpha’s name. He still couldn’t find the other man. Panic started to course through Gabriel’s body.

Laurent never left his post.

The stupid, sentimental fool loved his charge too much. Laurent would do anything for Adrien. It was what made him such a good bodyguard for the pup. His first thought was always Adrien’s— 

Oh no.

Gabriel raced to his son’s room, kicking open the door. He looked around frantically, scenting the room quickly. His son was not there. From the smell of it, his son hadn’t been in his room for a few weeks. The alpha felt his temper flare. Laurent would pay for this, and so would Adrien.

That pup would rue the day he thought he could walk away from his father.

But how would he locate them? They had the upper hand considering Gabriel hadn’t even realized his son was gone. He had cleared the boy’s schedule as punishment, planning on completely isolating him. He couldn’t let anyone know that his only child had presented as an omega! His image would be ruined. An omega couldn’t run a fashion empire, they were too soft and weak.

That must have been a mistake...Laurent must have felt pity for the pathetic child.

No matter, once he defeated Ladybug and Chat Noir, his son would have no choice but to come back. He would have to in order to see his mother after all…

Gabriel marched back into his office and strolled over to his painting. The quicker he could defeat them, the sooner he could fix things.

———————

“Marinette! Marinette! You need to wake up!”

The omega in question whimpered a few times before blinking slowly. Her grey eyes darted open as soon as she saw the flash of red in front of her. Tikki was hovering a few inches above her face, a worried expression on the tiny goddess. Marinette quickly looked to the side, feeling her anxiety decrease when she realized Tim and Adrien were both still fast asleep.

Her inner omega preened at the sight of her fellow omegas fast asleep, safe and sound. Tim had been sleeping with them since their first night in Gotham. At first, he’d still been hesitant to sleep in the nest with them, but Adrien and Marinette had not allowed him to get away that easy. When it was time for rest, Adrien would corner Tim and herd him towards their room. Marinette would wrap a blanket around Tim, and the pair would yank him into the room.

Marinette had allowed Tim to bring his work with him as a compromise after the older omega had complained of not being able to get anything done. Adrien had been slightly disgruntled, but Marinette had defended Tim, saying that he had a lot of work to get done. Surprisingly, Adrien had been the one to yank Tim’s laptop away once the older omega’s eyes began to droop. Adrien would then snuggle into his side, and the pair would fall asleep almost immediately.

Marinette would keep watch, but was hesitant to mention to Adrien that there were nights Tim disappeared. The dark haired girl was curious, but didn’t question the older omega’s actions. They were guests in his home, and Marinette didn’t want to do anything to make Tim or Bruce upset. She figured that Tim was just grabbing more work to do and didn’t want Adrien to stop him.

Tonight, Tim didn’t disappear. Tonight, Tim had curled up with Adrien, holding the younger omega close. He didn’t say a word, but Adrien didn’t mind. The younger omega began to chat about his day at school while Tim listened with glassy eyes. Eventually Tim had been lulled to sleep by Adrien’s purring.

Marinette was worried, but she figured Tim would tell her later. They weren’t quite there yet in levels of trust, but they were working on it. Things had genuinely improved after Damian had apologized to them. It seemed everyone was worried about how they were going to co-exist, but once Marinette had accepted the apology, the tension disappeared. That still didn’t mean Tim fully trusted them though...

She had ended up falling asleep against Tim, wanting to provide comfort and support in the hopes that Tim would soon open up to them more. She still had that feeling in her gut, telling her to trust Tim with their secret. Despite it making no sense, Marinette thought Tim would be a good fit for a miraculous. There was just...something in him that made Marinette believe he would be able to handle the power and responsibility of the miraculous. 

She had managed to keep it hidden from Tim, but now it seemed their time was up.

Marinette gently disentangled herself from Tim’s arm to sit up. She cupped her hands for Tikki to rest in. The little goddess grabbed Marinette’s phone, plopping it into her hands. She turned it on and pulled up the live feed of Nadja Chamak’s broadcast.

_ “This just in, an akuma calling herself “The Bounty Hunter” has just emerged after Gabriel Agreste released a statement about his son’s kidnapping! The akuma is searching for Adrien Agreste, who was believed to have been abducted by his longtime bodyguard, Laurent Massard. Let’s go now to the cameras on scene.” _

_ A teenage girl with almost translucent looking features is standing on top of a building. She was dressed in military-esque clothing. Her outfit was changing colors, shifting around to match the ever changing background. She was holding a cell phone in her hand that had a large antenna attached to it. _

_ “Don’t worry my darling! I will find you, and I will bring you home!” she crowed. “No one can stop me! Not even Ladybug and Chat Noir! My GAPS will be able to find you, my sweet! That’s my Global Adrien Positioning System!” _

Marinette felt her stomach churn unpleasantly with fear and anger.

Gabriel had discovered Adrien was gone. It took him a whole two weeks, but he had finally noticed! Had Gabriel really planned to keep Adrien chained to his bed like an animal for two whole weeks without any other human interaction aside from Laurent?! If so, Marinette was appalled and ready to kill Gabriel with her bare hands.

The other part was fearful because he’d  _ realized _ .

Gabriel was now looking for Adrien. Adrien was now in danger. Adrien would now be sought out by whomever Gabriel could get to look. For whatever reason, this akuma seemed to be targeting Adrien as well. Marinette could only thank the kwamis that akumatized people never remembered their akumatization. There was no way Gabriel would know Adrien wasn’t in Paris...and they had to work fast to keep the akuma from saying that on live TV!

Marinette grabbed the miracle box and pulled out a miraculous, praying that it would be enough. She felt her stomach churn again as she gently shook Adrien.

_ "Adrien, c'mon! Adrien there is an akuma!" _

_ "What's an akuma?"  _ a sleepy voice asked.

Marinette froze as Tim sat up. She didn't realize the older omega spoke French. She had to stop her racing thoughts before they could spiral. She couldn't worry about who in this house spoke French. There was an akuma to stop!

_ "Tim, can I trust you?" _ Marinette asked quietly, clutching the miraculous tightly. 

Tim, upon seeing the seriousness in the other's grey eyes, sat up immediately. He focused on her scent, noting it was sour with anxiety. He found himself purring in response before he whispered,  _ "Of course." _

Marinette took a shuddering breath before holding out the pendant to Tim. She locked eyes with him before saying,  _ "You know how Gotham has its villains? Poison Ivy, the Joker, and all them? For the last two years, Paris has had one of its own. His name is Hawkmoth, and he uses people's negative emotions in order to turn them into his pawns. The mayor has kept out any other superheroes out of fear that they may become Hawkmoth's akumatized puppets. Ladybug and Chat Noir can handle normal people who've been akumatized, but can you imagine the damage if someone like Superman were to be akumatized?" _

_ "It would be catastrophic. He's already been fought under mind control, and that was terrible,"  _ Tim responded.  _ "How does Hawkmoth do this?" _

_ "With a magic jewel much like this pendant I'm holding now. They're called the Miraculous. Each one represents a concept of the universe. The Butterfly Miraculous that Hawkmoth possesses is the miraculous of transformation—" _

_ "Which is how he can change people to his image." _

Marinette smiled sadly and continued. 

_ "Ladybug and Chat have been trying to find his identity, but haven't had much luck. Then it became...unsafe for them." _

_ "You and Adrien are Ladybug and Chat Noir,"  _ Tim said suddenly.  _ "What do you need me to do?" _

Marinette let out a sigh of relief, gently placing the fox tail pendant in Tim's hand. A little orange being flew out from the pendant, taking up residence next to Marinette's head. The little orange being resembled a tiny cartoonish fox with big violet eyes. 

_ "Tim Drake, this is the Miraculous of the Fox. This miraculous will give you the power of illusion. You will use it for good, and return it to me once the mission is completed,"  _ Marinette whispered.

_ "And I'm Trixx! I'm the Kwami of the Fox Miraculous,"  _ the little fox chirped.  _ "To transform say, 'Trixx, let's pounce'! To detransform, say 'Let's rest'." _

The little fox made a circle around Tim's head before giving him a toothy grin.

_ "This one's certainly clever, Little Guardian. This one will serve you well. He's prepared for the hunt,"  _ Trixx said.

Tim nodded firmly before putting on the necklace. 

_ "One question, how are we getting to Paris?"  _ Tim asked.

_ "Oh, that'll be the easy part,"  _ Adrien said, finally revealing he was awake.  _ "Kaalki, voyage!" _

And as a little horse-shaped creature flew into view, Tim remembered all the reasons he hated magic. 


	14. Bounty Hunter and the Teumessian Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER!!!! Between school, Maribat March, and this whole bullshit with CORVID-19, I've been under some stress! Big shout out to my folks on the discord I belong to for helping me muddle through this!
> 
> Tim is now the fox and witnesses an akuma for the first time.

The Bounty Hunter looked down at her phone in confusion.

Hawkmoth had told her that she would be able to find Adrien with her new powers! She was limited to the whole of Paris, but Hawkmoth had reassured her that it wasn’t likely that Adrien would have left France. Bounty Hunter wasn’t sure why Hawkmoth was so sure, but she trusted him. After all, he seemed to always know when someone was feeling upset, so why wouldn’t he be able to find Adrien?

Her poor Adrien.

When Mr. Agreste had announced his son had been abducted, he mentioned being concerned because there was no ransom note. Most famous people were abducted for monetary reasons, right? Well, that had got the public thinking that maybe the abductors didn’t _ plan _ on giving Adrien back. Perhaps they were planning to murder the model as revenge on Gabriel Agreste…

Bounty Hunter knew she just had to save her beloved before something happened to him.

Now if she could only _ find him _.

He wasn’t showing up on her phone like Hawkmoth said he would! The screen just kept flashing with the same irritating message.

**Adrien Agreste not found.**

A snarl left her throat as she tried relocating several times. It wasn’t very long before Hawkmoth was demanding to know what the hold up was. The more the Bounty Hunter tried explaining her predicament, the more frustrated Hawkmoth got. 

** _“What do you mean you can’t find him?”_ **

** _“I mean, the device you gave me says he’s not in France!” _ ** Bounty Hunter snarled. ** _“Unless you were lying to me about it’s range?”_ **

** _“...I was not...begin to cause a ruckus. Force Ladybug and Chat Noir to come out to play. I will look for Adrien while you take care of them.”_ **

** _“Why?”_ **

She felt Hawkmoth go silent at her question. It was a reasonable one after all. Every other akuma fight, the man had only cared about getting his hand on Chat Noir and Ladybug’s miraculous jewels. If those were his only real targets, why would he care about some teenager, famous or not? What would he gain by helping her find Adrien?

** _“Simple, my dear. If Adrien is not on your radar, then something must be interfering with it. Perhaps Ladybug and Chat Noir are hiding him. We will need to work together to break through their defenses if this is so.”_ **

Hmm...that made a bit more sense. If Hawkmoth’s magic could _ find _ people, why wouldn’t Ladybug and Chat Noir be able to _ hide _ someone with their own? If she dragged them out, then the heroes wouldn’t be with her Adrien! If their magic wasn’t blocking her powers, not only would she be able to get the miraculous for Hawkmoth, she’d be able to finally find Adrien!

Maybe he’d even fall in love with her after she rescued him!

Bounty Hunter took off towards the Eiffel Tower. 

——————

Gabriel was _ furious _.

It wasn’t _ possible! _

Adrien _ had _ to be in Paris, or at the very _ least _ France!

Laurent hadn’t withdrawn any money. If the Alpha had fled with the boy, he would have needed to empty his bank accounts, yet there they sat untouched! Adrien didn’t have any money as far as he knew, and Laurent wouldn’t have had access to Adrien’s account. Only he had access to the boy’s account!

Not to mention all of Adrien’s savings were _ still there. _

Laurent _ couldn’t _ have taken Adrien out of the country! He couldn’t have _ afforded _ to on pocket change! Not to mention that Adrien wasn’t exactly unnoticeable. The boy’s face was plastered across Paris for fuck’s sake! Gabriel knew his son could barely _ attend _ school without people recognizing him. How could Laurent get him across the _ border _ without someone noticing he was Adrien Agreste?

And unless the police were _ lying _ to him, no one had seen Adrien leave the country. _ No _ cameras had shown Laurent and the boy together. _ No _ security guards remember seeing the boy. There was _ no _ evidence that Adrien had left, but people didn’t just _ disappear _ into thin air!

It wasn’t until Nathalie came running in that Gabriel had found his solution...and his reasoning for Bounty Hunter.

Nathalie had discovered that the security camera near Adrien’s window had caught something. She pulled up the feed from two weeks ago, turning her tablet towards Gabriel. He nearly ground his teeth together when he realized what he was seeing.

A woman with snow white hair had come to Adrien’s window. Adrien had let her in almost immediately and had not been afraid of her. She was wearing a pure white modified Zhiling-Gaoyao Ruqun. It’s sleeves stopped at her elbows and were not as flowy or loose as traditional. While the belted portion sat between her chest and waist, as was a traditional cut, her skirt only fell to about her ankles rather than all the way to the floor. Two fox ears were perched on her head, flicking around to detect the smallest noise, and she had a pure white foxtail to boot.

Unfortunately, Gabriel couldn’t get a good look at her face. All he knew was that this mysterious fox had somehow managed to convince his worthless whelp to _ run away _ with her. 

“Nathalie, are any of Adrien’s friends currently out of the country?” he asked.

“Three as of right now,” Nathalie replied. “Miss Dupain-Cheng left last month to visit the United States. Miss Bourgeois is currently in the United States as well with her mother. The last that we know of is Miss Tsurugi who is with her mother on business in England.”

“Last month?” Gabriel asked.

“Yes, she left at the beginning of the month, two weeks before Adrien went missing,” Nathalie replied. “It was before...before the incident.”

“The other two left after?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Investigate for me. Ask the Dupain-Chengs if they’ve seen my son as well. They appeared to have a soft spot for him.”

Nathalie bowed before exiting the room, leaving Gabriel to focus on Bounty Hunter. He watched the girl tear up the area, sneaking up on others. She’d grab them and shake them down, screaming that they were going to tell her any information they knew about Adrien's whereabouts.

Damn Ladybug and Chat Noir! They must have convinced someone to take up the fox miraculous! It was their fault his whelp was gone! Omega or not, Adrien could be of some use to him someday, and he would do whatever it took to get him back. Gabriel was going to make them _ pay _ for taking his pathetic pup from him! He’d make them _ pay _ for ever standing in his way!

His attention was drawn back by his akuma’s crow of delight.

Ladybug and Chat Noir had arrived!

—————————

Tim gripped the flute tightly, keeping his eyes trained on the illusions he’d cast.

**Don’t worry so much. You’ve got a talent for this. The illusions will hold as long as you will them too.**

Tim nodded, looking back at Marinette and Adrien. Trixx was right. He could do this. He already had way more practice than Marinette and Adrien. He knew how to balance himself, and how to focus his energy into one task. It was one of the first things Bruce had taught him when he became Robin. He had told Tim that he needed to be ever-present and focused or else he’d get hurt...or worse.

It was something that Tim excelled at. It resulted in his brothers sometimes referring to him as the single-minded robot, but he couldn’t completely disagree. Tim would often get stuck in his current thought and would run with it when needed. It was how he’d discovered Batman’s identity to begin with.

Knowing he had more training horrified and thrilled Tim. He had the opportunity to help mentor younger superheroes! He could teach them things and be a part of the group! He was also horrified because at _ least _ Bruce had _ trained _ them before throwing them at drug peddlers and psychopaths. Who was responsible for these children?! And why weren’t they being trained by senior heroes?!

Tim shook off his feelings of anxiety to focus on the task. He could worry about his two packmates (...when did he start calling them packmates?) later. They needed him to focus on the now. As long as Tim focused, he’d be able to do this. He was even confident in his ability to observe and possibly create another illusion if need be.

**Don’t push yourself too much. This is your first time.**

Tim locked eyes with Marinette before grinning.

“So what’s the plan?”

“Right now, we need to find the akumatized object. It seems like Bounty Hunter can camouflage everything, _ except _ her tracking device,” Marinette murmured. “Safe bet that the akuma is in there. If she’d just heard about Adrien’s disappearance, then she was probably reading articles online.”

“Which led to her akumatization when she realized her favorite supermodel was gone,” Tim mused. “So how are we going to fight her?”

“We can’t directly,” Chat whispered, his tail between his legs. “We can’t hit what we can’t see. We need some way to see her first.”

“Chat’s right...are you sure you’re going to be okay? I know...I know being back here makes you nervous,” Ladybug inquired softly.

The blond nodded before smiling, “After all, the magic will protect me. I know for a fact it makes us smell like alphas to people outside the other holders. I should be good.”

Tim looked over the two kids, feeling a strange sense of anxiety filling him. Marinette was now wearing what looked like a spandex onesie with black polka-dots. Her mask was polka dotted too, and a _ yo-yo _ hung from her hip. Her hair was still in their customary pigtails, but the ribbons were red now.

Adrien looked like Cat Woman had dressed him. He was wearing black boots and a leather jumpsuit. He had black ears perched atop his blond hair and a leather belt tail attached to his middle. His eyes were _ much _ greener than before, and his mask was all black. That was leaving out the little yellow bell by his throat that Tim hadn’t wanted to mention. 

They _ looked _ like Superheroes...but Tim _ knew _ they were just kids.

He looked down at the black flute in his red gloved hands. He was curious as to why the weapon of choice for the fox was a _ flute _, but he figured he could make it work. He clipped the flute to his waist for the moment before darting to another roof. He wanted to ensure that he had a vantage point at all times, relying on their comms to communicate with one another.

He heard Adrien suggest Marinette try using her lucky charm. Maybe it would be something that they could spray Bounty Hunter with or something to stick to her, that way they could better see her. Marinete had hesitantly replied that it was worth a shot.

“Chat, Lady, I’ll keep an eye on our hunter,” Tim said, the black ears on his head twitching. “Remember, one way we can see her is by watching for the glint of the tracking device.”

“Good call, ‘Sian,” Marinette responded. “Be careful, and stick close to the shadows. We need the element of surprise.”

Tim nodded, watching the fight between Bounty Hunter and his illusions carefully. He made his illusions hide for a moment, wanting to know if her tracker worked on anyone else. When she let out a howl of frustration, Tim had his answer. The akuma could _ only _ track Adrien. This would make things _ slightly _ easier. That meant she couldn’t triangulate _ their _ positions, and more than likely, didn’t _ know _ of the Teumessian Fox’s existence.

What _ was _ going to make this difficult was the akuma’s ability to somehow produce _ ropes _ from thin air!

Tim really _ fucking hated _ magic.

**Hey, don’t be mean! Just because you can’t control it, doesn’t mean it’s bad!**

He apologized to the little God, citing all the _ terrible _ experiences he’d had with magic. The Fox forgave him, but Trixx said that still didn’t excuse Tim from being mean to him! He sighed, turning his attention back to the fight.

The akuma didn’t have _ any _ fighting experience from what Tim could see. She was sloppy, moving on pure instinct alone. Tim almost gasped, thankful that Lady and Chat _ weren’t _ really fighting the akuma. She didn’t even know how to throw a proper punch! If it wasn’t for the magic, this girl would have gotten her _ ass _ handed to her before she could blink.

He heard Marinette call for her lucky charm, only to have her blink in confusion before murmuring, “What the _ fuck _ am I going to do with a sheet?”

Suddenly, he heard her gasp before saying, “Chat, I need you to fight with our illusions. Confuse her, make her distracted. Draw her back towards the light post. I’ll be waiting behind the car to drop the sheet on her!”

“...LB, we can’t _ see _ her.”

“We can see her phone,” Tim responded. “Watch for glints of light. Plus, Trixx is telling me that you’ve been with Plagg long enough that your hearing should have improved. She might be invisible, but she’s _ not _ intangible. She’s going to make noise when she moves. Let the illusions take the blows for you. Focus on what you can _ hear _.”

“‘Sian, I’m going to need you with me. Once I’ve got this around her, I’m going to need you to grab the phone.”

“Copy that, Lady,” he responded. “I’ll move to you when Chat’s in position.”

Tim’s blue eyes scanned the scene, watching Bounty Hunter become frustrated as Tim’s illusions dodged out of her reach. Tim made sure to have them dodge or ‘miraculously’ not get caught by her ropes. The purple butterfly that kept appearing on her face made it clear that Hawkmoth was just as frustrated.

Then Chat popped out of the corner. He started spouting off bad cat puns as he teased the supervillian.

“THAT’S NOT _ POSSIBLE! _ How can there be _ two _ Chat Noirs! One’s bad enough!”

“Meouch! That hurt my feelings,” Chat said with a grin. “I’m such a delight that God just had to make two of me!”

Tim watched his ears twitch atop his head and smiled. Adrien was tracking her with her voice. All he had to do was keep the akuma talking. Thankfully, that was fairly easy.

“What did you do with my sweet Adrien!” she snarled.

Illusion Chat laughed before saying, “What makes you think we know?”

“Because! I can’t find him _ anywhere _on my Adrien tracker! Hawkmoth’s power can seek out those in distress, so why can’t you and Ladybug hide my precious Adrien from me!”

Illusion Ladybug shook her head before saying, “Unlike Hawkmoth, we don’t involve civilians in our battles. Unless Adrien Agreste was in danger, there is no reason that Chat Noir or I would get involved.”

“He wasn’t the target of the last akuma, so he wasn’t on our radar,” Chat said, jumping from car to car, dodging her ropes. 

Chat made his way over to the lamp post where Ladybug was hidden behind. Tim took the time to jump down from the roof, moving swiftly to a car across the street from the one Ladybug was behind. He watched with narrow eyes as Ladybug stared intensely at the air where the ropes were appearing from.

Once she spotted the glint of the phone, Ladybug threw her yo-yo, catching the akuma by the waist. She yanked hard, pulling the villain towards her. Chat assisted, extending his bo staff so it hit just above the yo-yo wire, pushing the akuma into the lamp post. Ladybug quickly wrapped the sheet around the akumas head.

Without prompting, Tim darted out from his hiding spot. He was a blur of black and red, skidding past Chat to snatch the phone. He held it up triumphantly before looking at Chat.

“Hey, Kitten! Catch!” he said, throwing it.

Chat called upon his cataclysm and the phone crumbled to pieces. Ladybug released the girl, who now looked like a regular teenager. She quickly twirled her yo-yo, catching the purple butterfly. He watched in awe as she purified the insect before releasing it. Ladybug then grabbed the sheet, throwing it up in the air.

“No way.”

**Yes way. Just watch. She’s not done yet.**

Tim’s eyes widened as they spotted the magical ladybugs cleaning up all of the damage. He was so entranced that he barely noticed the gasp from beside him. It wasn’t until someone grabbed his hand that Tim’s focus shifted. 

He looked at the former Bounty Hunter and felt his rage _ burn _ . She couldn’t have been older than _ thirteen _. She was small with mousy brown hair and sad green eyes. She was still sitting on the road, seemingly dazed. She was tugging on his arm, looking at him with shy curiosity.

“What am I doing here? The last thing I remember I was in my room—”

Tim almost asked her what she meant when Trixx helpfully supplied that those who were akumatized often did not remember their akumatizations.

**The butterfly miraculous is ** ** _supposed_ ** ** to be used to create champions to fight for the greater good. If they were allowed to retain their memories, then they may seek out a miraculous for themselves This is dangerous, so those who are chosen had their memory of the event wiped to protect them and us.**

Ahh, that...that actually made a lot of _ sense _ to Tim. That was a smart countermeasure. He wished he had something like that in his everyday life. That would have been _ extremely _ helpful. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses though because Tim was _ furious _.

That meant these villains...these akuma… they were as much the victim as the people they attacked. Hawkmoth attacked _ these _ people, changed them, and then forced them to do things they’d never remember. He chose _ children _ to fight _ other children _. He felt sick to his stomach, but kept a smile on his face.

“It’s okay,” he said, bending down to her level. “You were akumatized, but Ladybug, Chat Noir, and I took care of it.”

The girl looked _ horrified _.

“Oh no! I’m really really _ sorry _!” she whimpered. “I guess I just got so upset! My favorite model went missing, and his father just met with the press saying he was probably kidnapped! I was afraid his kidnappers were going to kill or hurt him.”

“While it’s admirable to be concerned about your fellow man, I wouldn’t worry too much,” Tim soothed. “I’m sure the police are on the case, and they’ll work hard to bring him back. Why don’t I help you up, and we’ll make sure you get to the police too. They’ll make sure you get home safe and sound, okay?”

The girl nodded before shyly saying, “Hi, I’m Ginny.”

“Hi, Ginny. I’m Teumessian Fox, but Lady calls me ‘Sian,” he said, pulling her to her feet.

“Are you the new fox holder?” Ginny asked as they walked towards the officers

“I wouldn’t say that just yet,” Tim admitted. “Lady needed a third, and I happened to be available. We’ll see.”

“Wow...that’s _ really _ cool.”

“...yeah...I guess it is.”

Tim handed the young lady off to the proper authorities before walking back over to Lady and Chat. The two teens were talking to a lady with a purple dye job and brown eyes. They seemed relaxed with this reporter, so Tim figured that this was the reporter they regularly spoke to. He threw his arms around Ladybug and Chat before saying, “Good job today team! I’m glad it all worked out.”

“Ladybug, what happened to Rena Rouge? Will Paris be seeing her again?” the woman asked, holding out her mic.

“Unfortunately, no. Please know that this was not done out of spite or a rash decision. We have reason to believe that Mayura has been tailing Chat Noir and myself while we do patrols and during attacks. We fear that if we continue the way we have, Hawkmoth will discover our allies' identities. We do not wish to put them and their families at risk, so I’m afraid we have to retire heroes such as Rena Rouge and Carapace,” Ladybug said firmly.

“We ask Rena, Carapace and the others who have worked with us to forgive us,” Chat added. “However, I want those individuals— and they know who they are— to think about their families for a moment. How many of their loved ones have been akumatized? How many times has Hawkmoth already put them and their loved ones at risk? Because if their identities were to be discovered, it would get _ worse _ . Their loved ones would be _ constantly _ targeted for akumatization since they’re the people closest to the holders. _ They _ would be a serious target for akumatization, putting us as a _ whole _ at risk. If we want to defeat Hawkmoth, than we _ can’t _ be taking those kinds of risks.”

“May I ask how you were chosen Monsieur—?” the woman asked.

“Teumessian Fox, but call me ‘Sian. And that, my dear lady, is a secret that only magic knows the true answer too. To be completely honest, I don’t understand it myself,” Tim responded with a smile. “But I knew they needed help, so I accepted it. I don’t know if I’ll continue to be the fox holder or not, so I’m going to ask that you not get too attached.”

The woman laughed before looking at Ladybug.

“You found yourself quite the charmer, Ladybug.”

“Thank you, Nadja. We’re lucky to have ‘Sian with us today,” the scarlet heroine replied.

Three different beeps cut Nadja’s next question off. Ladybug turned to Nadja before apologizing, saying they had to go. The woman accepted this, which surprised Tim to no end, and the two took off. Tim darted after them, but not before waving goodbye to Ginny. She seemed like a sweet kid after all.

They darted quickly into the shadows before Marinette pulled Kaalki out. She looked around anxiously before requesting that the little horse Goddess make a portal for them to Gotham. The trio darted back in, all hoping that Bruce hadn’t gone to check on them again.

None of the omegas thought they could _ bear _ having the overprotective alphas breathing down their necks. 


	15. Change Has Appeared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new fox in town and that stirs up some feelings.
> 
> Gabriel has some questions about things.
> 
> Marinette's too damn tired for this.

It took everything in Alya Cesaire to keep her cool.

She knew that Ladybug and Chat Noir were just trying to protect her and her family (basically all of them had been akumatized aside from her mom, but her mom had been an akuma’s minion), and that it wasn’t anything personal  _ against _ Alya. She took deep breaths, trying to fight back the tears. This was for her protection. This was for her  _ family’s  _ protection. This was for Etta and Ella. This was for Nora. This was for her dad and mom. This  _ wasn’t _ personal.

However, it still  _ stung. _

On her television screen was a  _ boy fox _ . He said his name was Teumessian Fox, and Alya recalled the legend from class. It was a Greek legend about an uncatchable fox that preyed upon the children of Thebes as punishment from the Gods. To stop the fox, a dog was created that was destined to catch whatever it hunted. Zeus saw the pointlessness of it all and turned them to stone. They were the creatures that the constellations of Canis Minor and Canis Major were based off of. Canis Minor was the fox, and Canis Major was the dog.

The guy looked a few years older than Ladybug and Chat, which was odd. Normally, Ladybug had chosen people their age to wield the miraculous. He had swept-back black hair and cunning blue eyes. His mask was black at the top and white at the bottom. Most of his suit and ears were pitch black. His gloves were red, and the tip of his tail had a stripe of red and a white tip. 

He was  _ attractive _ and  _ well-spoken _ . Alya wondered  _ where _ on earth Ladybug had come across him. He had moved swiftly and remained hidden, almost as if he’d  _ done _ this before. That was impossible though because she had not seen the other fox until now. She looked down at her phone, eyebrows furrowed.

Alya convinced herself that she didn’t have  _ time _ to worry about the new fox. Nino was blowing up her phone with messages and calls. She already knew why, without having to answer any of them. After all, the akuma had just let the whole of Paris know that Adrien Agreste was  _ missing _ .

The brunette just wished she could have been more  _ surprised. _ Adrien hadn’t shown up to school in  _ two weeks _ . Lila had been  _ very _ distraught, and nothing Alya said would make it any better. The only upside was that  _ Marinette _ had left them beforehand. She didn’t think that Lila could stand having a jealous and angry Marinette around  _ and _ cope with Adrien’s disappearance. 

There was nothing Alya could do now though. All she could do was try and calm Nino down, and try to help Lila. She answered her phone with a deep sigh, mentally preparing to deal with her boyfriend learning that not only was his best friend missing, but he would never be Carapace again.

—————————————

Gabriel was  _ furious _ .

Not only had he  _ not _ located his son, it appeared that there was a new  _ Fox _ in town as well. This one was oddly...competent. He wasn’t like Ladybug or Chat Noir or even his akumas. No...this boy was  _ trained _ . He had moved with grace and precision that he’d only seen in the Tsurugis...who were  _ professionally _ trained fencers. This wasn’t the boy’s first fight by a long shot. 

So  _ where _ had Ladybug found him?

_ Why _ had she  _ lied _ about her reasons for retiring Rena Rouge and Carapace?

The man wouldn’t lie. If Mayura were strong enough to follow them around, then he  _ would _ have had the woman tailing them. It was a good plan, but Nathalie was only getting sicker and sicker. Gabriel  _ couldn’t _ risk Nathalie dying before his plans were  _ complete _ . He also couldn’t  _ leave _ to follow them either.

He was  _ still _ Gabriel Agreste as much as he was Hawkmoth. He had to  _ meticulously _ plan his akumas so that they would not arouse suspicion or hurt his business. When he wasn’t watching over an akuma, he was busy doing paperwork, approving/denying spending, and looking over the latest designs. He didn’t have the  _ time _ to stalk these children.

Now he  _ really _ didn’t have the time.

Adrien was  _ missing _ .

Omega or not, Gabriel knew  _ Emilie _ would be  _ furious _ with him if he revived her and their son wasn’t there. She had  _ adored _ their pup from the moment he was born, and she  _ wasn’t _ afraid to tear him apart. He needed to find Adrien, get the miraculous, and revive his wife  _ in that order _ .

The Teumessian Fox was different from the one that had kidnapped Adrien, which was interesting to Gabriel. Who was the girl? Did the two foxes  _ know _ each other? Had Ladybug given the fox to  _ one  _ person,  _ taken  _ it back, and then  _ given  _ it to Teumessian? If another akuma were to rear its head, would Teumessian  _ reappear _ ? Or had he  _ truly _ been a one-time use?

Gabriel felt his anger rising once more.

If there were  _ more _ miraculous users, who’s to say one of them  _ wasn’t _ hiding Adrien?

Or had taken him  _ out _ of Paris?

Out of France?

The magic would protect Adrien and his conspirators! That would provide evidence as to  _ why _ no surveillance camera had  _ seen _ anything. It would explain why the police or border guards wouldn’t have  _ seen _ Adrien leave! 

Did Laurent  _ know? _

Did that oaf of an alpha  _ figure out _ that he was Hawkmoth?

Or had he contacted Ladybug after Adrien’s little incident?

Where was the man  _ now? _

Hearing his phone chime, Gabriel clenched his teeth. He didn’t have  _ time _ to think about all the factors. He would  _ continue  _ to search France until that proved unfruitful.  _ Then  _ he would expand his thinking outside of the country. He would have to look up  _ Laurent’s  _ contacts to see if there was any way the other alpha had contacts outside of France.

Adrien hadn’t gone to Amelie, otherwise he would have already have the authorities banging on his door for child abuse. That was Adrien’s only connection  _ outside _ of France, so he must have used  _ someone _ else’s connections.

His mind drifted back to Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but he dismissed it. She'd left the week before, and there hadn't been any signs that she'd returned from her trip across the ocean. Nathalie would have found something had Adrien snuck away with Miss Dupain-Cheng. 

The man collected himself, taking several deep breaths. The press was waiting for him again, and the longer he stalled, the more suspicious things would be. There was still a portion of the population who blamed him (correctly) for Emilie's disappearance. If he wanted to solidify that he had _ nothing _ to do with his son's disappearance, then he needed to be  _ present.  _

Gabriel had played (and won) this game once before…

He most  _ certainly _ could do it again.

————————

Tim felt like he was going to  _ vomit _ as he stepped back into their room. 

"Trixx, let's rest," he murmured.

A flash of light momentarily blinded him before he spotted the kwami. Trixx was smiling at him sympathetically before saying, "Don't worry, Kit. Kaalki's portals take time to get used to. You did excellent though!"

"Trixx is right, Tim. You were practically a natural!" Adrien said with a grin. "How'd you learn to fight like that!?"

"Well, Bruce made us learn self-defense as soon as we were adopted," Tim said, the half-lie rolling off his tongue. "He’s a rich man, you know? There’s a lot of people who’d love to get their hands on one of us for ransom. Didn’t your father have you take any self-defense classes?”

“No, he just hired a bodyguard. I fence though!” the brunet replied.

Tim felt those words run down his spine like ice water.

“...so all of those punches and flips?”

“Self-taught! Right, Mari?”

Tim’s eyes darted to Marinette, who was quietly feeding the Kwamis. The dark haired omega shrugged her shoulders before replying, “My maman knows some martial arts, and she taught me. I taught Adrien what I knew. The rest we kind of had to figure out along the way.”

“So you two have been fighting a literal  _ supervillain _ with almost  _ no training? _ ” he asked, feeling his nausea increase as his anxiety did.

Marinette and Adrien both nodded as the brunet brought up the fact that there wasn’t really anyone they  _ could _ ask for help. The previous guardian had been a very old man, and he wasn’t necessarily physically capable of teaching them how to fight. Both pointed out that asking their parents for lessons would have made them suspicious, not to mention that Adrien’s father wouldn’t have approved of it.

“He wouldn’t have wanted to take the risk of having my face ruined. After all, I was his top model,” Adrien sighed. “So we had to improvise—”

“Not anymore,” Tim said firmly, cutting Adrien off. “I’m going to teach you now. Gotham’s got a lot more crime than Paris, so it won’t appear odd to anyone if I teach you what I’ve learned. In fact, we might be able to rope my brothers into helping too. They’ll want to make sure you feel safe, and if learning how to properly execute a right hook will do it, then they’ll bend over backwards to help.”

“I wasn’t punching right?” the other boy asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Your stance was off and had you been fighting someone who was trained, they would have been able to throw you off balance and take you to the ground,” he replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “Plus, there are  _ proper _ ways to drop to the ground that will minimize your chances of injury.”

“Wait, really?!”

“Yes, really. Don’t worry about where we’ll practice either. We’ve got a rather large indoor gym, so we’ll have space. You just might have to put up with Dick being a show off.”

“Dick? I would have thought that Jason would be the show off.”

“Jason’s not the literal circus acrobat. Bruce had a whole bunch of gymnastics equipment as well as some trapeze stuff installed when he adopted Dick. He’ll go in there to show off how he’s the most flexible person in the house. Damian is catching up to him though.”

“ _ Damian _ ?”

“Yeah, who would’ve expected it?” another voice answered. “My money was honestly on Replacement here. He’s pretty flexible too.”

Years of training was the  _ only _ thing keeping Tim from stabbing his older brother with the batarangs he kept nearby.

Years of training that Marinette and Adrien  _ did not have _ .

Marinette reacted first, grabbing the lamp from the nightstand. The dark haired girl whistled to Adrien, and the boy immediately lunged for the legs of the intruder. However, he was caught mid-pounce by the figure. He was tossed over the intruder’s shoulder as the intruder dodged the lamp that was hurtled at his head. A loud crash signaled that the lamp had met the wall, shattering it.

Tim quickly grabbed Marinette’s arm, stopping her from charging.

“Marinette! Marinette, it’s just Jason! Jason, you’re a fucking asshole! How long were you standing there?!” Tim hissed, glaring at the alpha who was still holding Adrien.

“How long was I here? Shit, Timmers! I thought you were supposed to be the smart one in this family! The real question is how the hell did you  _ not _ notice I was in the room? Mind telling me why High School Musical looked like a Cat Woman lookalike, Foxboy and Polkadots?” the dark haired alpha replied.

Jason gently set Adrien down before adding, “Nice try, kid. May I offer a suggestion? Try disorienting the person before grabbing their legs. If they can’t tell what you’re aiming for, they can’t prepare for it.”

Tim rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to think back to when they stepped through the return portal. Had Jason been there the  _ whole  _ time? How had they not noticed? Tim was certain that, with his training as Red Robin, he should have been able to detect—

“We’re sorry!” a choir of small voices rang out.

The box that Tim saw earlier, the one that Marinette had pulled the necklace out of, glowed for a second before several other tiny kwamis appeared. They flew over to surround Marinette, rubbing against her face and arms. A pale green one, that resembled a turtle, flew in front of Marinette.

“I’m sorry, Guardian, but he spotted you leaving through the portal. It was too late to warn you, as you were halfway in. He was going to get the other humans, but we managed to convince him to stay until you returned!” he reported.

Marinette, to her credit, smiled tiredly at the tiny turtle-being.

“It’s okay, Wayzz. I understand that these things happen. Jason, I promise I’ll explain, but you have to promise to keep this a secret!” she said, locking eyes with the green eyed alpha.

“Wait, how did I not notice—” Tim began to fret before Trixx nudged against his cheek.

“That was probably my fault,” Trixx said. “The miraculous effects different people in different ways. You used a lot of my magic today, a lot more than first timers normally do, so it probably took a physical toll on your body. Add the effect of going through Kaalki’s portal, and presto! You were too tired and feeling sick to notice!”

“These things make you sick? Are they like parasites? Is Tim hurt?” Jason growled. “If you’re hurting yourselves, I won’t just stand here and watch you do it—”

“Jason, they’re not parasites! They aren’t hurting us, and even if they were, why would you care?!” Tim snapped.

The alpha froze for a moment. His entire body was tense, and his expression was downright  _ pissed off _ . His fists were clenched at his sides, and his eyes were locked onto Tim. Jason’s scent, which had been well hidden before, came rolling out in  _ waves _ . A quick scent of the air let anyone around him know that he wasn’t  _ happy _ . 

Adrien let out a whimper, retreating into their nest. His scent soured in fear, letting everyone in the room know how he felt about the situation. The brunet omega wrapped a blanket around his body, looking up in fear at the agitated alpha.

Tim noted that his kwami, Plagg, looked displeased with his holder’s fear. The black cat-like God hovered near Adrien’s head. His green eyes stared venomously at Jason. The Kwami of Destruction looked ready to live up to his name until Tikki and Marinette came in to smooth things over.

“Jason, either get out or calm down. Tim, get in the nest with Adrien,” Marinette commanded, holding her head high. “I will explain things to you, but if you can’t calm down, we will have to leave the room. I won’t have you scaring Adrien.”

The little omega looked  _ exhausted _ , but her gaze never wavered. Her scent was  _ strong _ , and she held herself in a way that screamed  _ try me _ . Tim had seen this body posture several times, mostly when it involved getting him to go the  _ fuck _ to sleep. He knew she meant business, so he retreated into the nest. He joined Adrien under the blanket, wrapping one arm around the younger omega’s shoulder. He purred quietly to soothe Adrien but kept his eye on Jason.

Jason’s scent eventually died down, and he let out a breath that he’d been holding. He took several deep breaths, feeling the anger subside slightly. He looked at Marinette before growling, “Explain.”

“Lose the attitude, and I will.”

Tim felt his anxiety come back with a vengeance, overshadowing the tiredness that was previously there. 

Jason was aggressive at best and completely unstable at worst. The Lazarus Pit had affected Jason mentally in ways they (the Batclan) would never be able to comprehend. There were days or things that made Jason completely unreasonable and almost psychotic, and then there were days that Alfred said reminded him of the person Jason used to be before the Joker. It was a shit toss as to which one they’d get, and Tim was terrified that this would set him off. 

The red, ladybug-like Kwami fluttered over to Jason, her violet eyes gazing into the alpha’s eyes. The Kwami hummed thoughtfully before darting back to Marinette. She landed on the omega’s head before saying, “We might be able to heal you, but you’d need to accept our help.”

“What the fuck do you mean by that?” Jason snarled.

Marinette went to scold Jason, but Tikki simply shook her head.

“You’ve been touched by a Lazarus Pit,” the Kwami responded. “The Lazarus Pits were created by a wish made using mine and Plagg’s miraculi. It is corrupted magic, but I believe that Marinette and I could heal you.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow. Corrupted magic? A wish? The Lazarus Pits? What were those? Why was Jason in it? Was Jason corrupted? Was Jason a threat? What was going on?

While those thoughts raced through Marinette’s head, Tim noted how his brother seemed to  _ consider _ the Kwami’s words. The alpha seemed lost in deep thought before an almost  _ hopeful _ expression appeared on his face. Tim had never seen Jason look so apprehensive and vulnerable. 

“...you could make the rage go away.”

“Or make it more manageable for you. I can’t do it without Marinette though, and I most certainly cannot heal you unless you are willing to believe we can help you. You cannot think yourself a lost cause,” Tikki responded calmly. “You will also need to keep a hold on your temper. I will not put Marinette at risk, even if it will help you.”

Jason nodded before taking another deep breath. He looked back at Marinette before asking, “Where would you like me?”

“Adrien and Tim, move towards the back of the nest,” Marinette instructed, climbing into their nest.

The pair scooted as far back as they could and watched as Marinette settled in front of them. She then crossed her arms before ordering Jason to join them. She could feel the anxiety from everyone in the room, but she knew that she needed to negotiate Jason’s silence on her turf. Her turf was her nest, and she knew Jason would recognize what she was doing.

Jason moved slowly towards the nest, keeping an eye on all three omegas. He climbed into the nest but did not move any closer. He looked the Head Omega in the eye before tilting his head in submission. He showed her his throat, wanting to reassure the omega that he was not a threat to her or her pack. He was silent, the previous feelings of anger fading into the background. He tried reminding himself repeatedly that he wasn’t angry at Marinette or Adrien. Tim’s comment had been what upset him, but he’d scared Adrien. That wasn’t fair. 

“Okay, are we all calm now?” Marinette asked.

The three males in the room nodded, no one daring to make a sound.

“Okay, then I can start. Jason, how much do you know about Paris?” she asked the alpha.

“Historically or currently?”

“Currently...or more accurately, are you aware of the supervillain currently terrorizing Paris.?”

Jason looked confused before responding, “There’s a supervillain in Paris?”

“Yes...his name is Hawkmoth. Using a magical artifact, he uses people’s negative emotions to turn them into puppets to do his bidding. The magic artifact he uses is called the Butterfly Miraculous. It is a magic brooch created thousands of years ago, powered by a small creature called a Kwami,” Marinette began.

“Kwamis, which is what I am, are divine beings that represent different ideals. We are spirits, so we need the miraculous artifacts in order to interact with the physical world and humans,” Tikki picked up. “I am Tikki, the Kwami of Creation. My magical jewel is the pair of earrings Marinette is wearing. In order for me to be able to use my powers in this world, I need Marinette to activate and wear my miraculous. With it, she can transform into a superhero. I am the first Kwami that came to be, followed by my other half. Plagg is the Kwami of Destruction, and is Adrien’s Kwami partner.”

Plagg let out a grumble, waving at Jason from his perch in Adrien’s hair. 

“When our miraculi, my earrings and Plagg’s ring, are worn and combined by the same user, it allows them to make a single wish. However, there are consequences to these wishes. The Lazarus Pits were created by an individual who wished to bring individuals back from the dead. The price—”

“The individual’s sanity,” Jason said. “The more one is exposed to the Pit, the more of their mind they lose.”

“Exactly,” Tikki hummed sadly. “There is always a price to the wish, but it appears Hawkmoth doesn’t care. He wants to combine the miraculi, but we don’t know what his wish is. All we know is that he’s willing to destroy all of Paris for it."

Marinette pulled up the newsfeed from Paris and showed Jason the video of the fight that had just occurred. The alpha was eerily quiet as he watched. His expression grew more and more concerned and upset until he finally set Marinette’s phone down.

“Where’s your mentor?” he demanded.

“Who?” Adrien asked quietly.

“The senior hero who’s supposed to be teaching you about how to use your powers and how to fight. Where are they?”

“They don’t have one,” Tim piped up. “Which was why I was offering to teach them.”

Jason inhaled sharply, and it caused the two Parisian omegas to look at one another with confusion. Why was Jason so upset? What was the big deal about not having a mentor? Why did both Tim and Jason seem distraught by this fact?

The alpha locked eyes with Tim before turning back to Marinette.

“Let me help, and I won’t tell Bruce,” Jason said. “I grew up in one of the worst parts of Gotham. I can teach you things regular self-defense classes won’t. Besides, wasn’t Tim just talking about persuading us into teaching you?”

Marinette exchanged a glance with Tikki. The Kwami smiled before saying that getting additional training wouldn’t hurt. The dark haired omega let out a yawn, rubbing her eyes. She was too  _ tired _ to deal with this right now! 

“Fine. You’ll both help with our training. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to go to sleep. We can discuss this more in the morning,” Marinette grumbled, grabbing her own blanket. “Everyone get some rest. I’m sure we’ll be less cranky after some sleep.”

Jason went to exit the nest before Marinette smacked him in the face with a pillow.

“Go the fuck to sleep. Tomorrow, you’re cleaning up the lamp. I may have thrown it, but you scared the hell out of me, so you can clean it up.”

Jason immediately settled back down, curling up in the spare blanket that Marinette had chucked at him. It appeared he was going to be sleeping there...and that he was going to be cleaning up the remains of a broken lamp the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't very happy with how this turned out. It might be re-written in the future if it really is as bad as I think it is. I also acknowledge that I've been extremely depressed due to the goings on of the world, so perhaps this isn't as bad as I think it is.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoyed the update in some manner.


	16. Jason’s Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason wakes up the next day. He's got a lot to think about.

Life after the Lazarus Pit had been a non-stop state of confusion for Jason.

He knew he was never the  _ gentlest _ person in the room, but he had to admit that his temper had gotten exponentially worse since he’d been revived. There would be times he would feel random bouts of extreme aggression in which he wanted to do nothing but tear someone’s throat out. The line between friend and foe became even more blurred during those moments, and he’d seriously harmed his family several times over because of it. He’d harmed his pack’s  _ omega _ because of it. He’d harmed his  _ brothers _ because of it. He had hurt the people he’d loved in life the  _ most _ because of this unnatural aggression that had taken root inside his psyche. 

Jason, as surprising as it may seem, didn’t  _ want _ to be angry like this.

Sure, had the dark haired alpha been upset that Bruce didn’t kill the Joker for killing him? Yes, he had, but once he’d regained some of his sanity he realized just how  _ close _ Bruce had gotten. While it wasn’t the Joker, who had been locked up in Arkham shortly after his death, there were other criminals that had nearly met their maker at the hands of a grief-stricken Bat. Bruce had become extremely  _ violent _ in ways he’d sworn to Jason he’d  _ never  _ be. Bruce had continued on this violent streak until little Tim Drake came barreling into the picture, desperate to save the man from himself.

In his more lucid states, Jason found that he was  _ horrified _ by these facts. He found that he was horrified to find that Bruce could so  _ easily _ be like the people he fought against. He was horrified to realize that Bruce was only  _ centimeters _ away from  _ joining  _ the ranks of Gotham’s Rogue Gallery after his death. While he was lucid, he realized he understood what Bruce meant when he said killing them would be  _ too  _ easy, and that once started it would be hard to stop.

Jason had  _ struggled _ so much with it himself.

The dark haired alpha didn’t know whether or not to trust himself with his packmates. He didn’t know if he had what it took to beat the darkness in him. It was why he still kept distance between him and his packmates. Deep down, past all the twisted anger and hurt, Jason  _ loved _ his pack dearly. He didn't  _ want _ to cause them harm or pain, but he also didn't know  _ how _ to stop it. 

Tim's words had  _ stung _ .

It teared up his alpha instincts to know that his pack's omega didn't  _ trust _ him. 

It teared at his instincts that the omega  _ denied _ him as a full member of the pack given the dark haired omega didn't really  _ trust _ Jason.

Not that Jason could really  _ blame _ him.

But it certainly had a way of making things awkward.

When the dark haired alpha had woken up, he had sensed a weight on his chest. A quick scenting told him that it was Marinette who was currently fast asleep against him. He looked down at the sleeping omega and felt a rush of  _ affection  _ that took him completely off guard. She was splayed across his chest, her head laying over his heart. Her face was completely relaxed as she slept, not a sign of distress or discomfort in her scent. One of her little hands had even balled up a bit of his sleeve, making sure the alpha couldn’t go anywhere without her knowing.

The little creature— kwami, Jason reminded himself— was also asleep nearby. The red and black bug-shaped kwami was curled up in some spare blankets just above Jason’s head. She too seemed as relaxed as Marinette was, sleeping just as peacefully as her holder.

The alpha in him purred at the fact the omega and tiny god felt safe enough to sleep so close to him but that feeling was soon interrupted by a bitter mint and coffee scent. 

Green eyes darted to see Tim’s steely blue eyes boring into him.

He could tell Tim was torn between ripping Marinette away from him and keeping still so Adrien wouldn’t wake up. The brunet omega was being spooned by the older omega, so Tim didn’t have much space to move. An attempt to move the arm trapped under the still slightly skittish omega would definitely wake him up, and it was clear that Tim didn’t want to be the one to wake him. 

Jason noted that Tim had also slightly tightened his grip on Adrien’s sleeping form as Jason watched them. On Tim’s shoulder sat the tiny Fox-like kwami, whose purple eyes were gazing with a guarded curiosity at the alpha. It was clear that neither Tim nor the Fox was comfortable with what was going on but were doing their best to keep quiet.

"If you hurt her—" Tim began to hiss.

Jason’s alpha  _ growled _ , throwing an arm around Marinette’s lithe form. He fought to keep his scent neutral, reminding himself that Tim had more reasons  _ not _ to trust him than he did to trust him. He knew he'd fucked up in the past, but he was determined to do better.

These  _ pups _ needed him and Tim now. 

"Then you can kill me yourself," Jason answered after a few moments. "I don't intend to hurt the pups."

Tim still didn't relax but nothing more was said. He eyed the older alpha with distrust until Trixx gently nipped him on the ear. The little fox-like God whispered in his ear something Jason couldn’t quite make out. The alpha almost snarled at him until a dark magenta body appeared next to him. The tiger-eqsue kwami’s light orange eyes locked onto the alpha before she said, “You should clean up the lamp now. Trixx, control your kit."

“So long as you control your cub, Roaar,” Trixx replied. “My kit doesn’t trust him for a reason.”

The tiger-esque kwami rolled her eyes before saying, “You never like my cubs. You don’t like that they can be stealthier than your kits.”

Jason blinked in confusion at the little god-goddesss? Did these things even follow the gender binary? Did they have preferred pronouns? They were tiny GODS if he was recalling what Tikki had told him the night before, so why would they follow constructs built and designed by humans? He blinked a few times before deciding he’d just ask the kwami itself.

“...so, you’re Roaar?”

The magenta kwami turned her attention back to Jason before nodding.

“I am Roaar, Kwami of Secrecy. My miraculous is that of the Tiger. Now, I suggest you follow my advice and clean up that lamp. The Guardian will continue to sleep even if you put her down."

"She's got my sleeve in a vice grip," Jason murmured, unwilling to give up the warmth of the omega just yet. 

Roaar looked unimpressed with him, but the alpha couldn't bring himself to care. The last time he'd held an omega (uninvolved with his antihero/vigilante work) like this was when he was just a  _ pup _ himself on the streets. It felt  _ nice _ to be trusted by an omega again. It made him think back to when he and the other alpha street kids would huddle up with the omega kids on cold nights for protection. 

A small sigh of contentment left Marinette before Jason realized he was  _ purring _ .

Jason waited about twenty more minutes before gently depositing Marinette next to Adrien. It was a struggle to get her to let go of his sleeve, but the alpha managed it. He grumbled a bit, wanting nothing more than to curl back up with them and sleep, but Roaar had a point. He needed to clean up the lamp, and if he wanted back in Marinette’s good graces, that would be an excellent place to start.

He silently left the nest, trying his best to ignore Tim and Trixx's observations. Jason made his way over to the door, taking care of the shattered lamp pieces, and opened the door. He had to suppress a howl of laughter upon realizing that Alfred had already set out the broom and dustpan with a note that said,  _ Do be more careful, Master Jason. Between you and Master Dick, I am running out of lamps. _

Of course Alfred knew. 

He grabbed the broom and made quick work of cleaning up. Roaar, to Jason's surprise, remained nearby him. The kwami said nothing, but a part of Jason found it reassuring none the less. Once he'd finished cleaning up the lamp, the alpha turned his attention back to the nest.

Tim was still glaring, but he hadn't moved from his previous position. In contrast, Adrien had immediately reached out to tug Marinette closer. She in return had latched onto him, searching for her previous source of warmth. The two Parisians were still out like a light, unaware of the delicate atmosphere between Jason and Tim.

"It's like 7:15," Jason said quietly, not looking at Tim. "You're going to want to wake them up for school."

Tim let out a grunt, letting the alpha know he'd heard him. Jason sighed, running a hand through his sleep tossed hair. He put one hand on the doorknob before adding, "I'm going to see if Dick woke up Demon Spawn, or if the two of them are up. I'll try and work in a roundabout way to rope Dick into helping."

"Damian-"

Jason snorted before saying, "Please, all CV's gotta do is bat her pretty eyes at him, and he'll do what she wants."

Tim didn't say much at that, so Jason proceeded to leave the other omega to wake the sleeping pups. As he walked down the eerily silent halls, his mind wandered once more. The thoughts currently plaguing him? What the little Kwami, Tikki, had said to him.

Could he truly be healed?

Could they really help him?

Could the festering rage that was always just barely below his skin be contained?

Could he get closer to the person he'd been before the pit?

And the question that bothered him the most...

Did he deserve to be healed?

After all Jason had done, did he  _ deserve _ redemption? After all the pain, fear, and heartbreak he'd caused, did he really  _ deserve _ this chance? Did he really  _ deserve _ a chance to get better, knowing he could never reverse the damage he'd done to his loved ones?

"Jay, are you okay?" a voice broke in, sounding more concerned than anything else.

Green eyes darted up to see Dick staring back at him. The elder alpha’s eucalyptus and juniper scent was tempered, showing just how worried Dick was. He was giving Jason that sad smile as well.

"B mentioned you weren't sleeping well, but when I went to check on you, you weren't in your room," Dick said carefully, as if trying to gauge what mood Jason was currently in. 

Which brought Jason to another startling conclusion— he'd actually  _ slept _ .

Once Marinette had put her foot down and told Jason he was sleeping in the nest, Jason had  _ immediately _ settled down. He'd fallen asleep faster than he could recall doing in a  _ long _ while. He'd also slept so peacefully that  _ Marinette  _ had ended up asleep on top of his chest. 

"Jason? Are you not feeling well? Do you need to see Leslie—"

Jason’s nose wrinkled as Dick began to give off a distressed scent before shaking his head vigorously. 

"No, Dickhead. I'm not sick. I just...I actually slept really well last night. No nightmares," he admitted, throwing in the nickname to try and get his brother to relax. 

"Oh? Where did you sleep though?"

"I had a fight with Replacement, and CV made me apologize. I slept in their room under her orders," Jason said quietly. "... when did we stop sleeping in little groups?"

Dick’s eyes widened for a moment before he pulled Jason into a tight hug. 

"We stopped after you died," Dick admitted in a whisper. "I was so angry with Bruce about everything that I refused to even nest with Tim at first. Tim’s parents never really nested with him due to high society image standards, so he wasn't comfortable with it anyway, especially not with alphas. I've nested with Damian only a handful of times, and normally only when he's upset about something."

Jason, surprising even himself at the moment, hugged Dick back tightly. In a rare moment of vulnerability, he mumbled into Dick’s shoulder, "...I have a lot of regrets."

"I know, Jason...so do I."

"I didn't leave because you guys weren't enough. I just...I wanted  _ my mom _ ."

"I didn't hide away in Bludhaven because I hated you. I was angry, but mostly at Bruce for you becoming Robin."

"I didn't mean for things to turn out so horrible."

"I didn't mean to make you ever feel unwanted as my brother."

"I fucked up so bad, Dickie."

"Me too, Jay. We all did."

"I hurt you guys. I almost  _ killed _ Tim. I  _ killed _ ."

"Jay...I think it's safe to say you weren't yourself—"

"But what if I  _ was _ ? What does that  _ make _ me then?"

Dick hugged Jason tighter before saying, "You're still my brother. You struggle sometimes, sure, but you're still my brother. I still love you, Jason."

Jason allowed himself a moment to just  _ be _ , remembering days long since passed. He remembered how once Dick had warmed up to him, the older alpha's bed was always open to him. He remembered curling up next to Dick after a bad mission or a bad nightmare, knowing that the older one would protect him. He remembered times he woke up only to find that Bruce had joined them during the night. He remembered feeling  _ safe _ .

Dick rubbed his little brother’s back soothingly, letting Jason crumble for a moment. He could feel a dampness on his shoulder but said nothing. He knew something was going on by the pensive and dark look on Jason's face, but he hadn't realized all those dark thoughts were  _ about _ Jason himself. He knew things were still complicated and tense between all of them, especially with what happened when Jason was first revived, but he had no idea how  _ heavily _ it weighed on the younger alpha.

A few more moments passed before the shuffling of feet drew their attention. Dick released Jason slowly as they both turned to look at Damian as the youngest alpha approached them. 

"Todd, Grayson, Alfred wanted me to let you know he has breakfast ready for both of you," he said, his arms crossed. "Are Marinette and Adrien up?"

"I told Tim to wake them, but you might wanna check," Jason said, voice slightly thick.

"Very well, I shall do so at once," Damian replied before starting to walk away. 

He paused for a second, looking almost conflicted before he muttered, "If we didn't want you in this family, you wouldn't be here  _ now _ , Jason."

Damian then scurried off before Dick could coo or complain about him using Jason's first name.

Both of the older alphas stood there in silent confusion and disbelief before turning to look at one another. Dick just smiled and said, "C'mon, Jay. Let's go get breakfast."

"Sounds like a plan," Jason replied. 

The two began walking towards the dining room, with Jason feeling lighter than he had in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, I did it! I hope you enjoy the next installment, and hopefully this won't take as long to get the next chapter up!
> 
> Thanks for the support and positive vibes while my mental health has been struggling. I appreciate it!


	17. Damian's Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian thinks about his own relationships to the pack...then he prepares to bring Adrien and Marinette with him to school for the first time.

Damian felt his ears burning as he single-mindedly barreled towards the room where the omegas’ den was.

He hadn’t meant to overhear Jason and Dick’s conversation, but he knew he couldn’t leave the conversation without saying something. He knew things were not always great between their siblings, but there were still some things he didn’t know much about. Damian was aware that Dick had fought with Bruce after he became Nightwing— Clark had told him when he’d asked about how Dick came up with Nightwing. He didn’t know the depth of Jason and Dick’s dysfunctional relationship though. 

Damian only knew the depth of his dysfunctional relationships with his siblings.

He knew that he was an absolute bratty terror when he arrived in Gotham. He knew that he had been projecting his anxieties and anger onto his brothers, and now that he was older, he knew that wasn’t fair of him. The young pup had come in with the ideas that had been instilled within him since birth— that he was the true heir to the Batman, and that everyone else was a threat.

Add that to the lingering fact that his grandfather and mother wouldn’t hesitate to kill him should he perform less than satisfactory, Damian had barreled in with his fangs bared and ready to eliminate anything that would threaten his position— threaten his  _ life _ . 

Damian had accepted Dick begrudgingly because the oldest alpha had made it very clear he didn’t  _ want _ the mantle. Dick was perfectly fine being Nightwing, and the little pup could clearly see it. That took some of the edge away, knowing Dick wouldn’t fight him for the cowl, but there were still those lingering feelings of inferiority. Dick was trusted by Bruce while Damian was not, and it burned at him for a time. He remained slightly hostile towards Dick, partially because of his training and partially because Dick brought up confusing emotions he was never taught to deal with.

Tim had been treated with outright hostility from the beginning because he was an omega. It was something that Damian now acknowledged was ignorant of him, but at the time, Ra’s al Guhl and Talia’s lessons were still burned into his skull. He was taught that omegas were weak and pathetic creatures that shouldn’t be allowed on the battlefield. He was taught that omegas couldn’t inherit anything. He was taught that omegas had no rights and were property of their alphas.

Damian had approached Tim with the same ideals until the pack corrected him...especially the omega himself. 

Tim had proved he could hold his own, secondary gender aside. Tim had outwitted Damian. Tim had fought tooth and nail to keep his spot next to the two alphas and refused to lay down and let Damian take everything he'd worked for away from him. Tim had earned Damian's begrudging respect that only grew as he got older. 

Then Bruce disappeared.

Dick was forced to become Batman.

Tim began fighting with Dick…probably over Damian becoming Robin, though he really didn't know all the details. 

Bruce came back… and so did Jason.

Damian remembered how tense the house was when Jason came through the door. He remembered Tim’s fear and anger. He remembered Dick’s anxiety. He remembered Bruce’s desire to make things  _ right _ . 

He remembered his own instincts  _ screaming  _ to get the man who tried to kill  _ his pack _ out of their house. 

It was one of the first times Damian realized he thought of his father, Dick, and Tim as  _ pack _ . He realized that day that as much as he fought with Tim, he'd  _ kill _ anyone who hurt the omega. He realized that he'd grown  _ genuinely _ fond of Dick and that he  _ despised _ when the older man was upset. Those realizations frightened him, but they didn't frighten him as much as other things he'd dug up. 

Like how Dick wanted to protect Tim, but he also wanted to give Jason another chance because they  _ were a family _ .

Or how Tim had  _ idolized _ Jason as a child in a similar way he'd idolized his mother… only for that idol to try and  _ murder  _ them. 

Damian found himself fighting with Jason almost  _ regularly  _ because Tim and Dick were in  _ pain _ . That didn't even  _ begin _ to cover how Bruce and Alfred felt either. He had  _ hated _ Jason for all the hurt he'd caused directly or not. It was easy to hate him at first… until Damian noticed some similarities between them. 

As time passed and Jason tempered himself, Damian grew to enjoy the other's presence. Jason was always up to spar with him, and the man seemed to enjoy weapons as much as Damian did. The pair had silently bonded over their inability to say what was important, instead hiding it behind a veil of angry words and mismatched actions. Jason got Damian in ways that Dick just couldn't fathom, and in ways Tim didn't think about. 

And Jason had just verbalized some of his insecurities and regrets to Dick.

Damian  _ knew _ how hard that was. 

So he did the only thing he could… Damian channeled his inner Dick and  _ told  _ Jason an emotional truth.

Because it was a fact, despite being loaded with so many emotions he didn't have time to deal with. If they (Bruce, Alfred, Dick, and to a degree Tim) hadn't wanted Jason back in the pack, they would have never allowed him back in the manor. They still loved Jason even if they hadn't necessarily  _ trusted _ him at first. 

Hell, Damian knew Tim  _ still _ had trouble trusting Jason. Though, an argument could be made that Tim received the brunt of Jason's outright hostility with Jason's numerous attempts on his life. He could see, understand, and respect why the omega was still cautious around him. 

But in the end, Jason was still pack too. Jason was still loved by his father as a son, and Damian (he'd never admit it though) had grown  _ fond _ of Jason in the same way he was fond of Tim and Dick. He needed his older brother to  _ know _ that, so Damian spoke up instead of pretending he'd never heard them. 

That being said, Damian was still a little pissed off that  _ Jason  _ was the first alpha to be invited into the omegas' nest. He tried to shake it off though, knowing he'd only  _ just _ received Marinette’s forgiveness for what had happened the day they had arrived. 

Alfred had ended up assisting Damian in making some chocolate chip cookies for her and Adrien. The young alpha had insisted on making something basic and not using Alfred’s knowledge of their favorites. He had told the elderly beta that he wanted  _ Marinette _ and  _ Adrien  _ to tell him that information. 

His grandfather-in-all-but-blood had seemed  _ proud _ of Damian's decision, so he'd felt some relief in that. Once the cookies were done, Damian had located Marinette and Adrien in the garden, praying they would stay put once they saw him. 

The two omegas had avoided him for about the first month of their stay. Adrien had been severely anxious about being around Damian, and Marinette had refused to let the alpha near her packmate. He hadn’t been able to apologize to either omega until then… though that might have been for the best.

Damian's first several attempts at making those cookies had not ended very well. 

One he had been certain neither omega was going to run off, he'd asked to speak to Marinette first, and the head omega had agreed, even though her packmate was anxious.

"Yes?" Marinette had asked him once Adrien had retreated inside.

Damian had locked eyes with the sweet smelling omega before speaking.

"I wanted to apologize to you and Adrien. While I acknowledge that the situation was…unique, that still didn't give me the right to respond the way I did. I was invading your personal space, and your packmate had every right to try and protect you from me. Despite whether or not I made the decision based on instincts, I'd like to formally apologize to you, Head Omega for invading your personal space and attacking your packmate. If you accept this apology, I would like to make one to Adrien in person as well."

Marinette had eyed him up for several moments, making Damian feel smaller than his mother or grandfather  _ ever _ did. Soulmate or not, she could have still refused him. This sweet,  _ strong _ ,  _ protective  _ omega could still have told him to jump off a cliff, and Damian would have seriously considered it. 

Thankfully, the dark haired omega had been satisfied by his apology. She had texted Adrien to come back, and Damian had given him a slightly different version of his apology to Marinette.

"I'm sorry I tried to attack you. Despite the situation being unique, I understand that doesn't give me an excuse. I am a strange alpha, and I was attempting to intimately scent your packmate. That was wildly inappropriate of me, and you had every right to push me away. You were just doing what a responsible packmate does, and I shouldn’t have ever reacted in the way I did."

Adrien had accepted his apology rather easily, in Damian's mind, saying that the whole soulmates thing had really explained why Damian had responded the way he did. Apparently, Marinette had contacted her parents (who were also soulmates) sometime after the incident to get more information, and Adrien had listened in on the conversation out of sight.

According to Tom (Marinette’s father), Damian's reaction was a highly normal one for soulmates meeting one another for the first time. He had apparently punched another alpha who was sniffing around his wife the first time they met. It had worked out in the end, but Damian had been relieved that he wasn't the only alpha to have gotten more aggressive than necessary. 

He'd then handed both Parisians the cookies he and Alfred had made. The dark haired alpha made sure to let both know that Alfred had assisted and supervised him the entire time these cookies were being made. Damian had then offered them his protection at school. 

"I understand you and Adrien can hold your own, but as my father and brothers said, as long as you're here you're pack. I have a reputation for being… not so social or pleasant due to my upbringing under my mother. If anyone gives you problems, mention them to me, and I'll set them straight."

Despite having been  _ wildly _ out of his comfort zone apologizing, it had all been worth it to see Marinette  _ smile _ at him again. 

Marinette and Adrien had accepted his peace offering and his protection. The dark haired omega had seemed more than pleased with him, making his inner alpha  _ preen _ for making the tiny omega happy. He had also relaxed at the thought that his pack's other omega was no longer upset with him and seemed to be happy to have his presence around.

After the apologies, Marinette and Adrien finally began to hang out with Damian. They stopped avoiding the pack if Damian was present, and the two began to engage Damian when the pack wasn’t present. They still weren’t quite one-on-one hang outs like with some of his packmates, but Damian was content with the progress he’d made at the moment. He knew that he had to earn their trust before either omega would let the other be alone with him.

That being said, it was their first official day at Gotham Academy, and Damian was hoping things would go smoothly.

The administration had been rather lenient with the two omegas, allowing Damian to bring home assignments for the pair, while they adjusted to their new environment. They were now calling for the two omegas to join the class, citing that two and a half months was enough time for even the most traumatized omegas to adjust. Damian could tell his father had wanted to argue that, but Marinette and Adrien had agreed that they’d like to try school.

Bruce was worried because he wasn’t sure how Adrien (mostly) and Marinette would cope with a new school.

Damian was worried because he didn’t know how his fellow  _ classmates _ would react.

Not just anyone got close to the Wayne family...and an even  _ smaller _ number were allowed close to Damian. The alpha was standoffish at best and could be downright vicious. His classmates knew all of that. They knew not to mess with him, or he’d take their head off their shoulders.

But he  _ couldn’t _ be like that with Marinette.

His alpha  _ refused _ the thought of even  _ harming _ his soulmate. Not to mention that Marinette was just a magnetic and sweet person overall. He’d observed that the omega was fiercely independent, loyal, and just. She wanted to help others out of a  _ desire _ to help and not for the reward or glory of it. She just wanted to be  _ helpful _ .

Adrien wasn’t half-bad once Damian got to know him either. The skittish omega was still very shy, but he too had a genuine desire to help even if he had no idea  _ how _ . While his scent wasn’t that appealing to Damian, he acknowledged that the other omega was  _ extremely _ important to Marinette and that the others in the house considered him pack. Damian would tear anyone who dared to try anything with the brunette omega to pieces...but a part of him hoped he wouldn’t have too.

When he finally reached their door, Damian knocked loudly before saying, "Tim? Are Marinette and Adrien up yet? Breakfast is waiting for you, and we need to get going to school."

He heard shuffling from the other side of the door as well as several  _ colorful _ French curses. He could scent Tim’s amusement from the other side of the door, as well as Adrien’s annoyance. Marinette’s scent was absent from the room, but he could tell her scent trailed towards another bathroom. He figured she must have grabbed her clothes and went to change in the bathroom so Adrien could get ready.

“Tim, you’ve got to start waking him up earlier,” Damian complained in jest. “You’re stressing him out with getting ready at the last minute, and now we have  _ school _ !”

“Aw, but he’s just so cute when he’s asleep!” Tim called through the door.

Damian fought back a laugh as he heard a whine from Adrien about how he was  _ not _ cute. The quiet shuffle of feet drew his attention away from the door to spot Marinette heading out of the bathroom. He felt his throat close up a little as he watched the little omega walk towards him.

As much as Marinette had been annoyed about not being able to wear her own clothing, Damian thought the uniform looked  _ stunning _ on her. Her white button-up looked flawless as did the black uniform sweater vest that just  _ barely _ hugged her curves. Her tie was on straight and pulled together nicely as was her blazer that she’d decided to leave open. The navy skirt swished a little as she moved towards him, but she didn’t seem to mind having to wear a skirt at all. Her normal pink purse had been replaced by a black backpack, but Damian noticed she seemed a little less tense than before about having the backpack instead of her purse.

“Good morning, Marinette,” he greeted, feeling his heart stutter as her scent hit him.

“Good morning, Damian,” she replied with a yawn.

“Did you sleep well?”

“For the most part. Jason pissed me off, but he apologized and took care of it, so it’s okay. I also finally finished the special pocket in my bag that I’d been working on yesterday.”

Damian lifted an eyebrow before questioning, “Special pocket? Was this why you looked so uncomfortable about not having your purse?”

Marinette giggled, making Damian’s pulse skyrocket and giving him the desire to hear  _ more _ .

“Yeah...I keep emergency supplies in my purse you know? Can’t be digging around for pads or any medicine I might need.”

“Wait! Mari, could you carry some of my stuff then?” Adrien asked, shimming out the door while pulling his blazer on. “I need to put somewhere to put the anti-nausea pills.”

Marinette slung the backpack off her one arm and opened it up. She made a grabby hand towards Adrien, and he handed her the pill bottle. She gently placed it in a well hidden pocket, ignoring Damian’s curious look. Once she had settled Adrien’s stuff in next to hers, she turned back towards Damian.

“Does Alfred have anything for us to grab to eat?” she asked.

“Alfred always has a few muffins ready to go,” Damian replied before giving her a cheeky smile. “I hope they’ll be up to your standards, Miss Bakery Girl.”

“No pastries are as good as my maman and papa’s, but Alfred makes decent ones as well,” Marinette snarked back.

“Hey, lovebirds! I’m still right here,” Adrien interrupted. “Could you cut the flirting down? I could vomit from your perfectness.”

Damian smiled a genuine smile, feeling the warmth in his chest grow as his soulmate play growled at her packmate. He watched the small omega lunge at her packmate, followed by Adrien’s shriek and the sight of him trying to get away from her. The pair roughhoused on their way to the dining room, forgetting Damian for the time being.

The alpha found he didn’t mind though. He thought it was rather cute, watching as Marinette played carefreely with her packmate. Both omegas were relaxed and seemed to be letting out any pre-school jitters with one another. His alpha also purred internally at the fact they trusted him enough to allow him to be this close while they played.

It was a sign of trust to be allowed that close to an omega when their guard was down. They were practically defenseless because their attention was so hyper focused on one another to ensure bonding occurred between the two omegas. Were this back in more ancient history, this would have meant they trusted Damian to protect them from any predators or other threats to their safety while they kept their pack bonds firmly established.

As they entered the dining room, Damian spotted Jason and Dick eating some eggs while sitting next to one another. Dick was oddly close to Jason, making Bruce gaze curiously at the two, but the head alpha said nothing. The other two alphas also didn’t speak, but Dick’s eyes did dart up when the two rowdy omegas came bounding in. He smiled at the pair and then at Damian, clearly happy to see the bunch getting along.

Damian gave his brother a pointed look, but Dick mouthed back, “He’s fine. I’m watching.”

The younger alpha briefly inclined his head before grabbing the bag with his name on it. His green eyes looked over to where Marinette and Adrien were. The two omegas had grabbed their food as well, so Damian asked Alfred if he’d be dropping them off at school.

“Yes, Master Damian. If you and Ms. Marinette and Master Aiden would like to get in the car, I’ll be there as soon as I set Master Tim’s plate in the microwave. Goodness knows when he’ll come down,” the elderly beta said kindly. “I do hope one of you will check on Master Tim.”

“I’ll do it, Alfred,” Bruce said. “Damian, remember not to hurt anyone. Marinette, Adrien, remember that Alfred or any of us are just a phone call away. If you need us to come get you, then we will.”

“ _ Oui _ ,” Marinette chirped. “Have a nice day, Mr. Bruce, Dick, and Jason. Tell Tim we said bye!”

Damian watched his father sigh, knowing the older alpha was desperately trying to get Marinette to just call him  _ Bruce _ . Dick had joked that  _ clearly _ she’d been raised with better manners given that she was refusing to do so, and Alfred had just agreed. Bruce and Dick had then looked at each other, unsure if they should be offended or not by the beta’s statement.

Adrien followed Marinette, a lot more subdued than his packmate. It was clear he was having issues being in a button up, blazer, and khakis. He was trying to make it work though, and Damian was pleasantly surprised that there was little whining. Despite the boy also coming from money, Adrien wasn’t prone to whining when he didn’t get his way...in fact there were only a handful of times he could recall Adrien actually whining.

Those times were when he was scared, hurt, or wanted to annoy Marinette. 

Damian followed the two omegas to the car, noting how Marinette was doing most of the talking. He also didn’t miss the fact it seemed to be a  _ pep _ talk for both omegas. As he listened to Marinette go over several contingency plans, his good mood soured and his stomach dropped. He didn’t realize it, but omegas  _ naturally _ had to have a lot of contingency plans.

While the whole ‘omegas are defenseless and brainless during their heat’ was a myth, Damian knew that heats weren’t  _ pleasant _ . Tim was usually one  _ hell _ of a moody bastard during his. He would coop himself up more than usual, and  _ God _ help you if you got in his way. Tim would eat a ridiculous amount of food, and he would be nearly  _ attached _ to a fan.

Going off what Damian had observed and what he’d been taught (by Dick and Alfred, not his mother or grandfather), heats were hot (duh), sweaty, uncomfortable, and made the omega going through it want to tear someone’s throat out if they didn’t have a chosen mate. Now that the younger alpha was thinking about it, it sounded like a terrible thing to occur,  _ during _ school, when all an omega wanted to do was nest and quite frankly be left alone. Obviously an omega would need a contingency plan on how to get somewhere safe,  _ and _ how to avoid dumbass alphas and betas who thought they could just  _ take _ an omega.

The contingency plan for if they were separated for an extended period of time was discussed, and the more Marinette explained her plans to avoid people who’d try to hurt them, the more Damian could feel his fangs sinking into his lower lip. He said nothing, debating mentally on how he, as an  _ alpha _ and quite frankly one of the scariest to roam the Academy’s halls, could keep them safe should they not all be together. He knew the odds of them having  _ all _ of the same classes would be slim, so Damian would have to find another way of ensuring their safety—

“We’re here!” his soulmate’s sweet voice chimed. “C’mon, Damian! You need to show us to the office!”

He blinked once in confusion before looking at Marinette. His green eyes scanned her over quickly, and he realized that the omega was anxious. There was something too tight about her smile, and her grey-blue eyes didn’t have the same spark to them as they did at the manor. Damian was honestly impressed and a little horrified at how little his soulmate was showing her distress about being in the unfamiliar environment.

Adrien, on the other hand, was shaking like a leaf.

Damian quickly got out of the car and held out his hand.

“I’m not going anywhere. You can come out. I’ll stay with you until I can’t anymore.”

It attracted a few stares from the people around him, but Damian ignored them. The only thing that mattered was getting his pack’s omegas safely to the office without incident. They’d get their schedules, and then they’d figure out where to go from there—

“Well aren’t you a little cutiepie?” a croon came. “Didn’t think I’d be into brunets, but those eyes. Oooh, I’d love to see them up close and personal. You look like you’d give me some pretty little heirs.”

The dark haired alpha watched as Marinette snapped to attention, moving herself in front of Adrien with an outraged snarl. Despite being smaller than both Adrien and Damian, she certainly had a  _ presence _ that screamed, ‘Don’t mess with me’. Her fangs were  _ bared _ , and her scent was tinged with  _ rage _ and  _ aggression _ . Damian didn’t like how bitter her scent became, but he disliked the way the intruding alpha’s scent increased even more, trying to overpower the omega’s.

“Aw, sweetheart, are you jealous? Don’t worry, I know someone who could pup you—”

The crooning voice of the strange alpha died off in a choking sound as Damian growled low and  _ deep _ . He released his own pheromones which screamed that he was  _ furious _ , causing other kids around him to back up or flinch. He moved closer to Adrien, making sure to keep an eye on the strange alpha. He then pushed up his sleeves to reveal his wrists before grabbing Adrien’s arms. He pushed up the Parisian omega’s sleeves to reveal his bare wrists before he started scenting him. 

Damian knew it was common for not-very-close packmates and friends to scent one another by rubbing their bare wrists (which had scent glands) together. It was why he preferred to wear long sleeves or have sweatbands over his wrists so that others couldn’t scent him without his permission. The first few times some overly friendly people tried to scent mark Damian in an attempt to make friends ended up with that person on the ground with a bloody nose or broken wrist...or a combination of injuries.

To see Damian Wayne, Ice Prince of Gotham,  _ willingly  _ scent mark someone?

Inconceivable.

Once Adrien was scented, Damian grabbed Marinette’s arm. He scented her in the same manner before turning to look at the commenter. Damian felt a surge of pleasure run through his system as he saw the  _ fear _ in the other alpha’s eyes. The blond alpha had actually backed up towards his friends, their scents all sour.

“Listen and listen good, you pathetic excuse for a human being,” Damian snarled, his eyes practically glowing with malice. “If you ever make my packmates that uncomfortable again, I’ll string you up and tear you apart...piece...by...piece. The same goes for the rest of you! These two are my packmates, and I won’t tolerate any untoward behavior towards them!”

Damian could sense the undercurrent of confusion mixed in with the overt fear, but he chose to ignore it for now. So long as they stayed away from Marinette and Adrien, Damian could bear answering a few stupid questions about his new packmates. Their safety was his priority, and damn whatever the stupid rabble thought of that.

He could hear Marinette’s pleased purrs, which didn’t hurt in this case. His inner alpha  _ preened  _ at making her happy, and she was  _ very _ pleased with him at the moment. He held his head high as he gestured for the two omegas to follow him into the school building, telling Alfred that he had the situation handled. The beta nodded but told Damian that he or Bruce would be on standby should either omega need additional support.

Adrien scrambled after him, keeping close to the alpha.

Marinette followed, but kept Adrien between Damian and herself. Her eyes were like cold steel, and she gave off the sense of  _ power _ that came from experience as a head omega. She snarled at those who made movements towards them and quickly proved she would not be cowed by anyone. Her displays made Damian smile to himself.

His soulmate was strong...perhaps stronger than him in some ways.

As Damian opened the office door, he could only pray the rest of the day didn’t go in a similar direction…

He wasn’t sure poor Adrien’s nerves could take that, nor would the Academy survive the combined wrath of Damian Wayne and one Marinette Dupain-Cheng.


End file.
